Beauty is Only Skin Deep
by Rackuhn
Summary: A love story -- Hazzard style.
1. Chapter 1

**Beauty is Only Skin Deep**

Hey folks, I'm back and with a different type of story for me – a love story (Hazzard style of course). Anyway, it starts off kind of slow but it will pick up, I promise. Hope y'all like it!

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, just playing with 'em for a little bit.

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**Chapter 1

Blonde haired, Bo Duke walked into the Boars Nest, smiling when he saw his pretty cousin Daisy working behind the bar. He sauntered over and grinned at her when she noticed who it was that was standing there.

"Hey Bo," Daisy smiled back as she quickly placed a beer in front of him.

"Hey Daisy," Bo greeted her before taking a swallow of the watered down beverage.

"All by yourself?" Daisy asked in amazement, knowing that Bo had a date scheduled for this evening with Betty-Lou Thomspon.

"Yeah, unfortunately," Bo grimaced, partly from the broken date and partly from the taste of the beer. "Betty-Lou's Grandmother got sick so she had ta go take care of her for a couple of days. So I decided ta come on down here and see what's going on."

Turning in his seat, he saw his other cousin, Luke, enjoying himself with his date, Mindy Carver, who also seemed to be enjoying herself as well, grinning to himself when he saw the expressions on their faces. Looking around some more, he noticed that Cooter Davenport was I the middle of arm wrestling his own cousin, BB, but neither one of them was making any headway.

"Hey Bo?" Daisy called out to get his attention. He quickly turned back to face her. "Can ya do me a favor?"

"Sure. What is it?" he smiled again.

"Since you're here by yourself tonight, I was wonderin' if ya wouldn't mind keepin' someone company for a while."

"Who do ya have in mind?" asked Bo, his curiosity peaked.

"See that girl over there in the corner booth?" Daisy said as she pointed.

Bo turned his attention to where Daisy was pointing and saw a girl sitting there by herself, just watching what was going on around her. He could see the she was about his age and that she had dark brown hair and greenish-blue eyes that seemed to change color depending on how the light hit them. She wasn't the prettiest girl that he had ever seen, but she wasn't the plainest either. She was slightly heavy and her round face held an air of confidence that he didn't see in the other women he had met, which told him that she was more grounded in her ways of thinking than most of the girls that he had been with in the past.

"Who is she?' he asked, finding himself intrigued by her.

"Her name is Madeline Weiss and she's new in town. She only moved here a few weeks ago and has been busy getting her house set up."

"Do ya know her?" he questioned as he continued to stare at her.

"A little," Daisy smiled back even though her cousin didn't notice it. "She seems real nice the couple of times I've talked ta her. Kinda quiet though. Always comes in here by herself and just sits in the corner booth watchin' everyone else. I thought it would be nice for her ta actually meet someone and talk ta them instead of just bein' by herself. "Will ya do it?"

Bo shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "Sure, why not?"

Together, the two cousins headed over to the booth that Madeline was sitting in and she turned in surprise when they stopped in front of her. "Hey Maddie, this is my cousin Bo Duke. Bo this Maddie Weiss."

"Nice ta meet ya, Maddie," Bo said with a grin as he shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Bo," Maddie smiled shyly, taken aback by his blue eyes, blonde, curly hair, and wonderful smile.

"Mind if I join ya?"

Bo and Daisy both saw the look of shock on her face when Bo slid into the booth beside her. "Uh no, sure," she stuttered.

"Hey ya two, I've got customers waitin' for me so I'm gonna get back ta work," Daisy said as she quickly took off back towards the bar. Maddie stared at Daisy as she walked away, not quite sure what to say to this man. Her attention was quickly drawn to him when he spoke up.

"So, Daisy tells me that you're new in town. Where abouts do ya come from?" Bo asked as he took another sip of his beer.

Maddie, still in shock that this man was even talking to her, quickly took a sip of her own drink. "Uh, actually, I'm from Pennsylvania."

"Wow, that's some move ya made. What made ya want ta come all the way down here?"

"Well, work mostly," Maddie smiled sadly. "I got a job in Capitol City working for a law firm and found that the houses here in Hazzard were very affordable, so here I am living down here."

"Oh, so you're a lawyer?" Bo inquired, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Maddie couldn't help but chuckle. "No, I just work for them."

"I take it that ya miss your home?" Bo asked seeing the look of homesickness in her eyes.

"Yeah, very much," she admitted. My family and I are close so this was one of the hardest things that I ever had to do."

"Yeah, I know the feelin'. One time my cousin Luke and me were on the NASCAR circuit for a year. Even though we had a great time, we sure did miss our Uncle Jesse and Daisy."

"You were on the NASCAR circuit?" she asked suspiciously.

"Sure was. I was the driver and Luke was my chief mechanic. Even got a winnin' trophy ta prove it too," he smiled proudly. "Do ya watch NASCAR?"

"I'm afraid that I'm not into it that much. Just know a few of the big time drivers' names and that's mostly because my brothers watch it."

"Oh yeah? How many brothers do ya have?"

"Maddie found herself relaxing a bit at the easy conversation that she was having with the man. "I've got four brothers and one sister, all older than me. I also have five nephews and five nieces too."

"Wow, that is a big family. I don't have any brothers or sisters unless ya count Luke and Daisy."

"I thought that you said that you were cousins?"

"We are, but the three of us all lost our parents when we were little so our Uncle Jesse and Aunt Lavinia raised us instead."

"I'm so sorry," Maddie said, clearly upset about the situation.

"Naw don't be," Bo smiled back. "When Aunt Lavinia was alive, she was a great substitute mom, and Uncle Jesse made a great substitute dad. In fact, he still ain't afraid ta tan our backsides if we get out of line." Maddie couldn't help but laugh. With each second that passed talking to the handsome man, the more relaxed she became. "Anyway, Luke found out a while ago that his brother, who he thought was killed in a fire when he was a baby, is actually alive and we all finally got ta meet him. He comes back every once in a while for a visit, plus we have a whole bunch of cousins livin' around the area too."

"Well that's good news," Maddie smiled. Bo found himself staring at her when she did that and he liked what he saw.

He was shaken out of reverie when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Sarah Jane Peterson looking back at him. "Oh hey Sarah Jane," Bo said with a smile.

"Hey Bo. I was wonderin' if ya would care ta dance with me?" she asked as she gave him a wink.

"Uh, that would be nice, Sarah, but I can't at the moment," Bo answered politely.

"Why not?" Sarah asked, confused that he turned her down.

"Because, I'm busy talkin' ta Maddie here," Bo answered, his voice taking on a frustrated tone.

Sarah quickly looked over and saw the woman that Bo was talking about and frowned slightly. "Ya don't mind if I dance with Bo, do ya?" she asked, clearly not impressed with Bo's choice for the evening.

Maddie started to reply when Bo broke in. "She might not but I do," Bo replied angrily. "I already told ya that I'm busy."

"But Bo…" Sarah whined.

"It's okay, Bo. You can go and dance if you want," Maddie spoke up, causing Sarah to smile at the prospect of getting her hands on Bo.

"No it's not, Maddie," Bo answered. "Sorry Sarah. I'll have ta take a rain check. See ya around." Sarah stood in shock for a moment when Bo turned his back on her. She stomped her foot and quickly huffed away, angry over what just happened.

Bo looked over at Maddie, embarrassment written all over his face. "I'm sorry about that, Maddie," Bo said. "She had no right ta treat ya that way."

"No Bo, it's okay. If you really want to dance with her, go ahead. I'll be alright."

"No, it's not okay, Maddie. Sarah Jane was just plain rude and ya know it. Ta tell ya the truth, I don't even like the girl all that much."

"But she's so pretty."

"Just because she's pretty don't mean that I want ta dance with her," Bo answered. He noticed the confusion that was written on Maddie's face.

"But I thought…" She broke off her question realizing that she had spoken it out loud.

"Thought what?"

She turned her head away in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Bo. It's just that it seems that guys like you always want to be with girls like her."

"Guys like me?" Bo asked, anger building again.

"I…I'm sorry," Maddie cried out. "It's just been my experience that most guys like to date pretty, skinny women, not someone like me."

Bo's anger immediately fled as he saw the look of sadness on her face. "Even though I may act that way at times, what if I tell ya that I'm not like every other guy?"

This time her anger flared. "Oh come on," she answered. "Don't give me that old line. Tell me, if you saw me and say Daisy walk into the room at the same time, who would you notice first?"

"Oh definitely Daisy," he answered with a grin. "'Cause if I didn't, she'd wallop me on the side of the head 'til I did."

Maddie laughed at Bo's answer. "Okay, you got me there. But Bo, I am sorry. I guess I shouldn't have lumped you in together with every other man."

"You've been hurt before, haven't ya?" Bo asked, a serious expression on his face.

Maddie was somewhat surprised by the question but decided to answer anyway. "Not really hurt, no, just really never noticed."

"Now why's that?"

"Most likely because I'm not the skinny, little, helpless twig you see running around everywhere," she answered with a shrug. "Most men I've ever met like me but that's as far as it goes. They never take the chance to get to know me just because I'm big."

Bo saw the expression of hurt on her face. "Well, I've noticed ya and I'm really glad that I'm getting the chance ta know ya better."

"Oh you're just saying that."

"No I'm not. I really mean it."

"Listen, I realize that it was Daisy that talked you into coming over here and sitting with me because she felt sorry for me and thought that I was lonely. She's right in a way, I am lonely, but I am not desperate. I came here tonight mostly to get out of my house to try and get over this feeling of homesickness that I have, not to meet anybody."

"Well, I'm glad that ya did come," Bo smiled back, "and I'm glad that Daisy talked me into comin' over here ta talk with ya too. I'm havin' a great time talkin' with ya."

"That's nice of you to say, Bo," Maddie answered, her cheeks flushing slightly at the comment. "But really, you don't have to stay here and keep me company if you don't want to."

"Will ya stop," Bo ordered, softening his tone when he saw the look of shock on her face. "Am I that bad that you're tryin' ta get rid of me?"

"N…no!" Maddie stammered, looking away from him in embarrassment. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Bo quietly said as he reached out to take her hand, a slight tingling sensation hitting him. "Just try and have a good time, will ya?"

She looked up and saw the smile on his face. "Okay," she smiled back.

"Now, tell me, is that feelin' of homesickness disappearin' yet?"

Maddie grinned again. "A little, but that's not the only reason I'm here. I'm also here because I ran out of the material I need to finish my project and the stores are closed until tomorrow morning."

"What kind of project are ya workin' on?" Bo asked, thinking she was talking about some sewing project.

"I'm making myself a new china cabinet."

"A what?" Bo yelled back in surprise. Maddie couldn't help but laugh at the look on his face.

"A china cabinet," she repeated. "I like to build things out of wood. I've got my barn set up with all of my equipment."

"You can do that? I'm impressed," Bo answered in awe. "I don't know of too many girls that can glue two pieces of wood together let alone build something."

"I'd love to show you my work sometime, if you'd like," Maddie answered shyly.

"That would be great! Let's go," Bo said enthusiastically.

She looked back at him with a stunned expression on her face. "Now?"

"Why not? We got nothin' else goin' on."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. I'll follow ya in my uncle's truck since Luke's got our car."

"Well, okay," Maddie smiled in agreement, not quite believing that she was going back to her house with a prefect stranger, but her instincts were telling her that she didn't have to worry about him doing anything to hurt her.

Standing, Bo helped Maddie out of the booth and hand in hand, they headed towards the door, only stopping when they heard Daisy calling out to them.

"Hey, where are y'all goin?"

"Oh, uh Maddie and I are goin' back ta her place. She's gonna show me the china cabinet that she's building," Bo announced excitedly.

"You're buildin' a china cabinet?" Daisy asked wide eye.

"I sure am," Maddie smiled proudly.

"I'll have ta come over sometime when ya got it finished," Daisy smiled. "I'd love ta see it too."

"Give me another couple of weeks or so to work on it and I'll invite you and your family over for supper."

"That sounds great, Maddie. Now, ya two go and have a good time."

"We will, Daisy," Bo answered with a smile, as the two of them headed out the door.

Daisy stood there smiling and shaking her head in amazement. "I knew I could count on Bo ta cheer that girl up." She looked up when she felt a hand on her shoulder and someone kissing her cheek.

"Hey Daisy," Luke said as she turned to see who it was behind her. "Who's that girl that Bo's with?"

"Oh, that's Maddie Weiss. She's new in town."

"Oh yeah? Where are they off ta already?"

"She's takin' Bo back ta her place."

A look of shock covered Luke's face. "Boy she sure moves fast," he answered.

Daisy laughed and slapped him on his arm. "It's nothing like that, silly. She wants ta show him the china cabinet she's building."

"She's building a china cabinet?"

"What's so surprising about that?" Daisy asked as the look of shock returned to Luke's face once again.

"It's just that ya don't hear of many girls building a china cabinet," Luke shrugged.

"Well she is and I think it's great."

"I think so too. It just sort of surprises me that Bo was even interested in talkin' ta her let alone goin' back ta her place."

"Well if ya would quit lookin' at all the girls on the outside and see what's goin' on inside, ya might be surprised," Daisy answered slyly. "She's a very sweet girl and I think it's great that Bo's interested in her."

"She's just not who I expected Bo ta be hangin' around with tonight, especially when I saw Sarah Jane head over ta his table earlier."

"Luke!" Daisy yelled. "I always thought that Bo as being the more shallow of ya two, now I'm beginnin' ta wonder."

"What?" Luke asked not knowing what he said wrong.

"Mark my words, Luke Duke," Daisy warned. "I see those two becomin' fast friends and maybe a bit more."

"Ya think?"

"Sure do. Wait 'til ya meet her, then you'll know what I mean," Daisy smiled and turned to go back to work.


	2. Chapter 2

**Beauty is Only Skin Deep**

Chapter 2

Bo stood there in awe as he looked at all the equipment Maddie had in her barn. Machines of all sizes stood there waiting to be used, as the smell of sawdust scented the air. "Wow. I've never seen so many machines like these before. Ya know how ta use all of them?"

"I sure do, but mind you, these aren't the best that money can buy. Of course, there are a couple more that I would like to get but just can't afford at the moment. Going to have to save up to get those."

Bo whistled in appreciation as he walked alongside the machines and saw some of the pieces that she was working on. He stopped when he reached the back of the barn and saw the partially finished china cabinet that she had told him about. "Would ya look at this," Bo said as he ran his hand down the side of the piece, feeling the texture of the wood beneath his fingers. "This is really beautiful. How did you manage to build something this big?" Before him stood a partially made cabinet that was about five feet tall and about three feet wide. The top portion had three shelves in it for plates, cups, and glasses, whereas the bottom portion had room for the bigger settings.

"A lot of time and a lot of patience. I'm still working on the doors and should be done with those shortly once I get some more wood. After that, it's a major sanding job and then I might stain it, but haven't quite decided on that yet, and oh, a couple of coats of sealer."

"I think it looks good natural like that."

"You do? Maybe I'll keep it natural then," Maddie said with a smile.

"How ya plannin' on movin' this thing into the house though?" Bo asked as he looked at the piece again and saw how big it truly was.

"Well the top portion comes off for that very reason, but I am going to need some help getting it inside. I figured that I could hire a couple of strong men to help me move it when the time comes."

"Ya don't have ta do that," Bo exclaimed as he turned to face her. "I'm sure that I could talk Luke and our friend Cooter into helpin' me move it when you're ready."

"I can't ask you to do that," Maddie protested.

"I know but I will," Bo smiled back. "Say, how'd ya get started in all of this anyhow?"

"I used ta watch my Dad putter around in the garage when he was alive. It always looked like fun. So one day, I was out there looking at all his stuff and decided that I wanted to learn how to use them. I took a couple of classes and started buying some of the smaller pieces of equipment. When I moved here, I saw the barn and thought that it would be a nice wood shop so I started buying some of the other things I needed and the rest you know. They're no way near the good stuff but they do a pretty good job."

"Do ya think ya can teach me how ta do some of this? I mean if you're not too busy, that is."

"I'd love to, but just remember, I'm not really a pro at this either."

"You kiddin'? This stuff looks great."

"Only because I take my time and read the plans over and over before I make the next cut and double and triple check my measurements. You don't know how many times I messed something up because I rushed to do it."

"Well what else have ya built? If this china cabinet is any indication, I bet your other stuff looks just as good."

Well I did build a wall cabinet and some other things I can show you. Come on inside the house and you can judge for yourself. Just ignore the mess that's going on right now."

Bo nodded happily and followed Maddie as she headed towards the house. As they entered, Bo could see some of the walls had been repaired and were in the process of being repainted, and he could see that some of the woodwork was being refinished.

"Who do ya have helpin' ya fix your house up?"

"Nobody. Doing it all by myself."

"All by yourself? That's amazing," Bo answered in awe.

"What? You don't think a girl can do these kinds of things?"

"I didn't say that," Bo answered trying to make some quick amends. "It's just I've never seen a girl like ta do these kinds of things before."

"Well ya have now," Maddie smiled back. "It's all a matter of finances actually. The more I can do on my own, the more money I will save in the long run, plus I'm having a lot of fun doing it too."

"Now that I understand," Bo smiled.

"Besides, there are some things that I won't touch, like any major plumbing issues. I can fix a faucet and unclog a drain but to actually re-plumb the house, that's something that I won't tackle on my own. And as for wiring a house, forget it. Me and electricity are not the best of friends. I hate getting zapped by static electricity so imagine how I'd feel if I really got zapped."

Bo laughed and nodded in understanding. "I know what ya mean. I was helpin' one time with replaincin' an overhead light fixture, which Luke promised me was completely shut off. When I went ta undo the wires, I was thrown clear across the room. Fortunately, Luke happened ta break my fall since I landed on him. He must have apologized for a week after makin' sure that I was okay. Other than my hair being a little curlier than normal, I was just fine."

Madding found herself almost doubled over with laughter. "You and your cousin sound close."

"We are. We do just about everything together, well almost everything," Bo laughed. "He's really great. You'll like him when ya meet him."

"I'm sure if he is anything like you and Daisy, I'll like him just fine."

The two of them continued on to another room and Bo stopped when he saw a set of ornate end tables, a small wall cabinet for displaying dishes, and a small clock. He quickly turned towards Maddie with questioning eyes. Maddie nodded her head as she smiled.

"I can't believe ya made these. They're beautiful."

"Thank you. It can be challenging sometimes, but so rewarding when you are finished."

"Ya sure you're not a pro?"

"Oh no, far from it," Maddie laughed.

"Bo looked around the room and saw that Maddie was still in the state of repairing and painting and that there were still boxes that had yet to be unpacked. "Ya know if you'd like, I could come by and help ya get your house fixed up and painted so that ya can unpack your stuff."

"I couldn't ask you to do that," Maddie said, touched by the offer but not wanting to ask someone she had just met that night.

"Ya may not be askin' but I'm offerin'. Besides," Bo replied with a wink, "it'll give me a chance ta help ya finish makin' that china cabinet."

"You are too much, you know that?"

"I know."

"I sure would appreciate the help getting this place fixed up and the sooner I can do that, the sooner I can finish that cabinet, and then the sooner I can have your family over for dinner."

"Well then, it's a plan," Bo smiled. "I'll come over tomorrow after I finish my chores and we'll get started painting."

"But I need to hit the local hardware store. I'm going to need a few things."

"No problem. I'll pick ya up and we'll get what ya need and get back here ta work."

Maddie looked at the handsome man standing in front of her and saw the sincerity of his offer in his eyes. She couldn't help but smile back at him in gratitude. "Thanks Bo."

"You're welcome, Maddie," he grinned back.

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_Thanks for all the kind words. Hoped you liked chapter 2 (even though it was a short one)._


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey Gang! First off, my apologies for all the extra alerts for those of you who are getting them, my computer wasn't cooperating with the system yesterday, kept deleting the the changes that I made (more than likely operator error). Anyway, thanks for all the kind words and I hope that you enjoy chapter 3!_**Beauty is Only Skin Deep**

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Chapter 3

The following morning, Bo got up early and did his chores as fast as he could. After eating breakfast, he asked his uncle if he could borrow the truck once again, not knowing what Maddie would need to pick up at the store. He was just headed out the door when Luke caught him.

"Hey Bo, where ya headed off ta?" Luke asked, hoping to get his cousin to go fishing with him this afternoon.

"I'm goin' back over ta Maddie Weiss' house and help her fix her place up."

"You're gonna help her?" Luke asked with a skeptical look on his face.

Luke's look only caused Bo to laugh. "Well yeah," Bo answered knowing what his cousin was thinking. "Actually, I'll more than likely just be assisting her since she seems ta know what she's doin'. Do ya know that she's not only building a china cabinet, which is sure something ta see by the way, but she's also fixin' her house up too?"

"What's she doin'? Puttin' on a new addition?" Luke joked.

"Not quite, but she sure knows her way around patchin' up the walls, fixin' up the trim, paintin', the whole works."

"You sound impressed," Daisy laughed as she walked up behind them, overhearing their conversation as she got closer.

"I am," Bo smiled back. "Ya should see some of the stuff she's made. That girl has some talent."

"Well I'm glad that ya two are hittin' it off. Why don't ya invite her ta dinner tonight, that way she won't have ta worry about cookin' anythin' after workin' hard all day," Daisy ordered the younger man.

"I'll do that," Bo grinned. "Hey Luke, why don't ya come with me. She's a real nice girl and I'm sure you'll be impressed with what she can do."

Luke looked at Bo for a moment, seeing how excited he was about helping his new friend, and then nodded. "Alright, let's go," he smiled, anxious to meet the latest girl that caught his cousin's attention.

The two of them jumped into the truck and took off down the road. Five minutes later, they arrived and Bo got out of the truck and ran up to the door. He just barely finished knocking when the door opened. "Hey Bo!" Maddie smiled at her new friend.

"Hey Maddie!" he beamed back and saw that she was slightly out of breath and had a flustered look on her face. He also saw that she noticed that someone else was standing behind him. "Maddie, I'd like ya ta meet my cousin Luke. Luke this is Maddie Weiss."

"Nice ta meet ya, Maddie," Luke said as he held out his hand.

"Maddie grinned, wiped her hand on her pant leg, and then shook his hand. "Good to meet you too, Luke. Why don't you guys come on in for a moment? I could use your help with something."

"Usin' us already?" Bo quipped as they followed her into her house.

"Yep. Need some strong muscles to help loosen a stubborn bolt for me," she chuckled as she led them to a small bathroom. "There," she said as she pointed to the pedestal sink. "I've been trying since this morning to loosen it but it won't budge for me."

"What are ya tryin' ta do?" Bo asked as she handed the wrench to him, understanding now why she looked that way.

"Need to get the sink out of the bathroom for a few days while I work on the walls. It's a lot easier when everything is not in the way."

"I thought…ya said that…ya didn't do…plumbing?" Bo grunted as he tried to loosen the stubborn bolt.

"This is just sprucing up the place. Plumbing is running new pipe, connections, and soldering copper tubing together."

"Oh," Bo said as he stopped to take a breath. "Boy, you're right. This thing is on tight."

"Let me take a stab at it, Bo," Luke smiled as he grabbed the wrench from his cousin's hand.

"Sure Luke, let's see what ya got," Bo laughed as he watched Luke strain as he took his turn.

"Give me…a hand here, Bo," Luke yelled out, shifting his stance so that Bo could get his hands on the wrench. Together, the two of them finally managed to loosen the stubborn bolt.

"You two are miracle workers," Maddie cried out as she smiled back at them.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," Luke panted out due to the workout but still blushed at the compliment.

"Believe me, you are. I didn't think that I would ever get that loosened. I was getting ready to hacksaw the thing off."

With a quick tug, the sink was pulled away from the wall and the two men carried it out to the other room. "Where would you like this thing?" Luke asked as he looked around at all the stuff lying about.

"Just put it here for now," Maddie replied as she placed an old towel down onto the floor for protection.

Once the sink was on the floor, Luke turned around and saw all the work that Maddie had done to the house. Turning some more, he saw some of her projects. "Wow! You made all that?" Luke asked.

"Yep."

"Told ya she was good," Bo grinned with pride.

"I hate to admit that Bo was right, but ya do good work, Maddie," Luke said in awe. "I've fiddle around makin' some stuff like that but your stuff is really good."

"Thank you, Luke."

"Wait 'til ya se her workshop, cousin," Bo said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, squeezing her slightly.

"Workshop?"

"Yeah, it's out in the barn."

"Can we take a look?"

"Sure," Maddie nodded, feeling very comfortable having these two men in her house. Just like Bo said, she was beginning to like Luke as much as she liked Bo. "Come on."

Leading the two men, she headed outside towards the barn. Opening the door, they entered and she flipped the switch bringing the lights to life. Luke's eyes widened as he took in the machines that she had.

"Wow. You've got a regular mill here don't ya?"

"Not quite. Just enough equipment here to help keep me out of trouble or get me into trouble depending on how you look at it. I figure the more I work, the less I miss my home."

Luke looked at her and saw the longing in her eyes. "Where's home?"

"Pennsylvania," she answered sadly before shaking her head and smiling. "Anyway, Bo here volunteered to help me finish my china cabinet and when I'm done with it, he also volunteered you and another guy named Cooter to help me move it."

"He did, did he?" Luke asked as he looked at his cousin out of the corner of his eye. "Yeah, Bo's good at volunteerin' my help."

"If you don't want to, you don't have to," Maddie quickly said, hoping that she didn't get her new friend in trouble.

"Now I didn't say I wouldn't help," Luke grinned.

"Don't worry Maddie, he'll help," Bo chuckled. "Say Luke, take a look at the cabinet."

Bo showed Luke the object that he was talking about and he whistled in appreciation. "Ya really should do this for a livin', Maddie. This is really nice."

"Thank you Luke, but I'm afraid that I'm not that good to go into business for myself."

"Ya could've fooled me," Luke replied.

"I'm not exactly an expert and besides, it's taken me quite a while just to make that."

"Well as they say, perfection takes time," Bo smiled.

"I appreciate the compliments, but I think I'll just do this as my hobby instead," Maddie grinned.

"Well, why don't we head ta the hardware store and get what ya need ta finish this thing," Bo said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders again. "Then we'll come back here, do some work on your house, and then the three of us will head over ta our place where Daisy and our Uncle Jesse will have supper waiting for us."

"I can't barge in like that," Maddie protested. "In fact, I should be the one feeding you two."

"We won't take no for an answer," Luke countered. "Besides, our Uncle Jesse would be very disappointed if ya turned us down. Now what do ya say?"

"Well…I guess I can't disappoint your uncle and besides, it will be nice having a home cooked meal instead of something I had to buy from one of the restaurants on my way home from work."

"You can't cook?" Bo asked, almost disappointed at the thought.

"Oh, I can cook but not with the way my kitchen is at the moment," Maddie sighed. "Hard to cook anything when your stove isn't connected."

"Well then, you'll be in for a real treat," Luke answered as he held out his arm for her to take. "Come on. The sooner we get ta the store the sooner we can get back here and help fix your place up."

"I never thought that I would have my own personal escorts for a trip to a hardware store," Maddie smiled.

"Darlin', this is Hazzard and anythin' is possible here," Bo laughed as Maddie wrapped her other hand around his proffered arm, sandwiched in between the two of them.

"I think I'm going to like it here," she said as they headed out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

**Beauty is Only Skin Deep**

Chapter 4

It was later that evening, after hitting the hardware store and working on Maddie's house all afternoon that the three of them ended up back at the Duke farm. Maddie felt welcomed the moment she entered the old farmhouse and was introduced to Uncle Jesse.

"Well, you're the young lady that Bo and Daisy's been tellin' me about," Jesse said with a smile.

"I must be," Maddie grinned back. "I do hope it was all good though."

"Oh that it was," Jesse answered as he gestured her to a chair at the table. "Hope you're good and hungry."

"I'm starving. We didn't have much of a chance to eat any lunch except for some sandwiches."

"Well, you and I didn't get ta eat much," Luke said as he winked at her. "Bo however, purty near cleaned her out of house and home."

Maddie giggled at the look that Bo threw at Luke, now very familiar at the way they would tease each other. "I didn't eat all that much," the younger Duke boy protested.

"Bo, ya practically cleaned out the poor girl's refrigerator," Luke returned.

"That's our Bo for ya," Jesse teased. "That boy could always put away the food."

"Uncle Jesse…" Bo whined in disbelief that his uncle was now picking on him in front of their guest.

"Oh believe me, it's not a problem," Maddie grinned. "Especially after all the work Bo and Luke did today. It was worth it." Bo turned and gave Luke a smug look.

"Well, the next time he comes and helps ya, I'll make sure ta pack him a lunch sos that ya will have something ta eat yourself," Daisy said as she sat down at the table.

"In the meantime, ya eat as much as ya can here in return for what Bo and Luke ate at your house," Jesse ordered with a smile.

"Yes sir," Maddie said, instinctively knowing not to argue with the Duke patriarch.

"Good," Jesse answered and then lowered his head to say Grace."

The dinner conversation was lively as the banter between Luke and Bo kept Maddie very entertained. Jesse took the time to find out more about the boy's new friend and was impressed when his nephews told him about the items that she had made and she quickly invited Jesse and Daisy to come out to her place anytime so that the could see what improvements that she and the boys have made to the house.

A few hours later, after she unsuccessfully hid a yawn, Bo volunteered to take her home. After being hugged by the three remaining Dukes, she followed Bo outside to where the General sat. She stopped and looked at the car, blinking at the sight in front of her.

"Is anything wrong?" Bo asked as he saw the blank expression on her face.

"That's your car?" she asked as she moved for a closer examination.

"Mine and Luke's actually," Bo smiled. "That's the General Lee. Do ya like him?"

"He's a beauty," Maddie said in awe. "What kind of car is he?"

"A '69 Dodge Charger. The fastest in the county."

"I'll bet," she said as she ran her hand over the top of the car.

"I take it ya like cars?"

"Actually, I do like the muscle cars but I mostly buy for functionality not beauty, hence the station wagon that I have."

"Well you're welcome ta ride in the General anytime ya want ta," Bo smiled. "Hop in and I'll take ya home Hazzard style."

"Hazzard style?" Maddie asked, curious as to what that meant.

"Trust me, you'll enjoy it," Bo grinned his famous grin.

Maddie pushed the button for the door handle and almost pulled herself into the side of the car when the door didn't open. "Where's the lock?" she asked when she looked inside to pull it.

"Oh, it's not locked. The doors are welded."

"Welded?"

"It's a race car. The doors are supposed ta be welded shut for safety reasons."

"Well that explains it, I guess. How do you get in then?"

"Through the window. Here, let me give ya a hand." Before she could even protest, Bo had picked Maddie up and slipped her inside through the window. She sat in the passenger seat with a stunned expression on her face.

"That…was interesting," she finally said as she caught her breath.

"Swept ya off of your feet, didn't I?" Bo laughed as he leaned in through the window, a smug smile on his face.

"You sure did."

"Just wait. Ya haven't seen anything yet." Bo quickly ran around to the driver's side and deftly slid himself through the window. He started the powerful engine and tore off down the driveway as Maddie frantically grabbed onto the doorframe.

Back in the farmhouse, the other three Dukes watched as the General took off down the road. "Oh that poor girl. Bo's gonna scare her ta death drivin' like that," Daisy said as the car disappeared from view.

"I don't know about that," Luke grinned. "I think once she gets over the initial shock of the way he drives, she's gonna enjoy herself."

"I agree with Luke," Jesse said. "She's a strong one, that girl is. Bo better watch himself though. I think he's met his match in that one."

"Ya think so, Uncle Jesse?" Daisy asked hopefully.

"Yep, I do," Jesse nodded and Daisy grinned happily.

"I wouldn't have thought of her as the kind of girl that Bo would go after, but I hope ya two are right. She's good for him."

"Like the old sayin' goes, 'Don't judge a book by its cover'," Jesse grinned, Luke and Daisy nodding in agreement.

**01 01 01 01**

After scaring her with a few wild corners and a couple of small jumps, Bo stopped and parked the General in front of Hazzard pond just to let Maddie calm down a bit. "Do you always drive that way?" she asked, half scared, half excited.

"Oh that was pretty calm compared ta the way I normally drive," Bo grinned.

Maddie turned to look at Bo with a grin on her face. "Actually, all that fishtailing sort of reminded me of driving in the snow back home."

"Ya had ta drive in snow?" Bo asked in wonderment.

"Had to? That was a requirement. The part of Pennsylvania that I come from could get hit with some pretty good snowstorms. The joke around there was a foot or less is considered a dusting."

Bo's eyes widened with shock. "You could get a foot of snow? At one time?"

"Uh hum. Usually more. Living by Lake Erie, we would get what was called lake effect snows. Depending on which way the wind blew, you could get anywhere from a coating to over a foot of snow, maybe more. You learn real quick how to drive in it. It might slow us down some but it never stopped us."

"Man, down here, if the word snow is even mentioned, we stick close ta home."

"If we did that, we would never leave our houses in the wintertime," she chuckled.

"I guess you're right," Bo said as he nodded his head in agreement, then he took a deep breath. "So did ya have a good time tonight?"

"Maddie immediately grinned. "Oh yeah, your family is great. I don't think I ever felt at ease so soon and it sure helps with the homesickness."

"Well ya know you're invited over anytime. Uncle Jesse wouldn't have it any other way…and I'd like it too," he said as he looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

Maddie turned to face him with a look of surprise on her face. "You…you mean that?" she asked, a slight tremor in her voice.

"Sure I do," Bo answered as he tuned to face her. "You're funny, smart, and definitely talented. I've never seen a girl that's so sure of herself as you are."

"I don't know about that," Maddie protested.

"I do," Bo replied as he leaned closer to her. "I think I can honestly say that I've never met a girl like you before."

"Big you mean?" she answered before thinking.

Bo stopped his decent and looked at her. "Just because you're not a skinny, little, helpless twig as ya like ta call 'em, doesn't mean that you're not beautiful."

"Bo, I…I"

He didn't give her a chance to respond. He quickly closed in on her and lightly kissed her lips, sending shivers down her spine. When he pulled away, he saw the look of awe on her face and how hard she was breathing. Smiling, he moved in for another one.

"Wow!" Maddie said when they finally broke for air.

"You liked it?" Bo asked with a hopeful look on his face.

"I uh, I…wow!" she answered. She took a few moments to compose herself and then looked at him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why did you just kiss me?"

Bo peered back at her with an astonished look on his face. "I kissed ya because I wanted ta."

"It wasn't a pity kiss, was it?"

Bo was once again floored at her remark, a hint of anger rising in him. "Did that feel like a pity kiss ta ya?"

She hung her head and shook it. "No. It's just…I…I'm sorry for ruining the moment, Bo. It's just that I'm not used to getting attention like that."

Bo's face softened and broke into a smile. He placed a finger under her chin and lifted it up so that he could look into her eyes. "Well, ya better start getting used ta it. I liked it and I would like ta do it again…if you'll let me that is."

A small smile lit her face. "I'd like it if you did it again, too."

"Well then get ready, 'cause here comes another one," Bo grinned and moved in once again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Beauty is Only Skin Deep**

**Chapter 5**

Over the next few days, Bo and Luke would head over to Maddie's house while she was at work and continue to fix up and paint whatever needed to be done, finishing up most of the major work. Maddie was thrilled with what they had been able to do in a single week and couldn't thank them enough. But what always surprised her is that she would find either Jesse or Daisy or sometimes both there every night with several covered dishes with enough food for all of them to eat. Jesse himself was pleasantly surprised by the changes he saw in the old house, having been there many times before visiting the former owners, and he was quite impressed with what Maddie herself had done before the boys had started helping her.

"I take it ya got a good deal on the old place here ta be able ta fix it up like this?" Jesse asked as he looked around.

"That and I was able to get the law firm I work for to float me a loan so that I could make the place livable. It was structurally sound but still needed a lot of work."

"Where is it that ya work again?" Jesse questioned.

"Oh it's a law firm in Capitol City."

"But surely ya could have gotten a job closer ta your old home than all the way down here in Georgia?" Daisy remarked as she and Maddie cleaned up the dishes.

"True, but there were some things that happened back home that I'm trying to forget and I felt that coming down here was the best move."

"What kind of things?" Daisy inquired.

"If it's all right with you, I'd rather not say," Maddie evaded. "It's just…too hard."

"I'm sorry, sugar. I didn't mean ta upset ya," Daisy said as the normally jubilant Maddie became quiet.

"It's okay, Daisy."

Luke suddenly spoke up, quickly changing the subject. "Say, why don't we all head down ta the Boars Nest tonight. It's Friday and I think we all deserve a break after all the hard work we've been puttin' in this week."

"That's a great idea, Luke," Daisy answered, glad to see that that suggestion perked Maddie up some.

"Yeah, we haven't been jukin' for some time now," Bo smiled.

"Jukin'? What's jukin'?" Maddie asked confused.

"Well, ya seen all those couples dancin' at the Boars Nest, right?" Luke asked her.

"Yeah."

"That's jukin'. Dancin' ta the jukebox."

Maddie shook her head as she chuckled. "Is that the Boars Nest idea of a live band?"

"It sure is, especially since Boss Hogg is too cheap ta pay an actual band ta play there," Luke added.

"Boss Hogg? Is he some kind of king pig?"

Bo shrugged and grinned. "You're not that far off."

"What Bo is tryin' ta say is that Boss Hogg is the commissioner of Hazzard County."

"Ohh," she said in understanding. "Oh yeah, I think I've seen the man but I've never had the good fortune to meet him yet."

"When ya do, just hold onto your wallet," Bo said. "If there's money in there, he'll sniff it out like a boar sniffs out truffles."

"And once he discovers that ya might actually have some, he'll come up with some kind of scheme ta get it from ya," Luke filled in.

"Now boys, quit tryin' ta scare the girl," Jesse scolded. "JD may be a crook, but he's…he's…oh who am I tryin' ta kid. That man is more crooked than a back country road."

The small group chuckled as they all headed for the door. "Sounds like an interesting man. Remind me to avoid him as much as possible," Maddie chuckled as they got to the cars.

"Ya ready?" Bo asked Maddie as they stood by the General.

"I'm ready," she said as she surprised everyone and hopped into the General by herself. Leaning back out the window she grinned. "Do you ever think about un-welding these doors?"

"I do!" Jesse hollered as he headed over to Dixie. The rest laughed as Luke and Daisy crawled into the jeep, Daisy driving of course, and Bo slipped into the General. They were soon all on their way.

**01 01 01 01**

The Dukes and Maddie arrived at the Boars Nest and found the place packed like usual for a Friday night. Daisy was really enjoying herself since it was one of the few times that she didn't have to work, so she also found herself out on the dance floor. Bo, Luke, and Cooter, who Maddie just met that evening, were teaching her the finer points of jukin', after her protesting that she couldn't dance to save her life. She soon realized however, that she was having a wonderful time.

After finishing another dance with Cooter, the two of them went to sit down with the rest of the family. The small group was laughing and having a good time when Bo felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Sarah Jane standing behind him. "Oh hey Sarah Jane," Bo smiled but inside was cringing.

"Hey Bo," Sarah cooed. "Was wonderin' if ya wanted ta dance?"

Bo quickly looked at Maddie, who nodded slightly while giving him an understanding smile. "All right, but just one dance then I gotta get back here. We're celebratin'."

"Oh? What are y'all celebratin'?" Sarah asked, hoping to get herself invited.

"We're almost done helpin' Maddie fix up her house," Bo smiled proudly.

"Oh," Sarah answered as she glared at Maddie. "Come on, Bo, let's go."

Bo reluctantly got up and followed Sarah as she dragged him by the hand. The rest of the table sat there chuckling at the youngest Duke. "Good ole Bo," Cooter laughed. "He's never had a problem getting the girls ta dance with him."

"But he's having a hard time trying to get out of dancing with them," Maddie absentmindedly said.

The rest of the table stared at Maddie as she watched Bo and Sarah. "What do ya mean, Maddie?" Daisy finally asked.

Turning back to the table she blinked and her face flushed slightly as she realized that she had spoke out loud. "Oh, it's just that he doesn't really like Sarah Jane all that much."

"He doesn't?" Cooter asked in surprise. "I always thought that there wasn't a girl that Bo didn't like."

"Well, Sarah Jane is one of them," Maddie answered. "That night that I met Bo, he was talking to me and she came over wanting to dance. When she wouldn't take no for answer, Bo had to get rude."

"Rude?" Jesse bristled, knowing that he didn't raise his boys to be rude to anyone.

"Oh nothing bad, Uncle Jesse," Maddie explained. "He just had to tell her quite bluntly that he was sitting with me and that he would take a rain check." Luke and Daisy exchanged a quick glance and smiled. "That's when he told me that he really didn't care for Sarah Jane." She then turned back to stare at the dancing couple. She could tell that Bo wasn't having as much fun as he let on. "Guess he's just making good on that promise of a dance."

Daisy couldn't help but smile at her friend and the way she was looking at Bo. "Don't worry, sugar. I'm sure Bo knows how ta handle Sarah Jane." Daisy then looked at Maddie in surprise when she heard the girl gasp. "What's wrong?"

"She just slapped him!" Maddie answered through gritted teeth.

"Who?"

"Sarah Jane just slapped Bo's face."

Daisy looked up in time to see Bo holding the side of his face and Sarah Jane storming away. She watched as her cousin came back over to the table and sat down, his face showing a distinct hand pattern on his cheek. "Bo what happened?" Daisy asked before anyone else could speak up.

"Oh Sarah Jane didn't like it when I told her that I didn't want to go out with her," Bo said, his face still stinging. "She said that I promised ta take her ta the Spring Dance next weekend. When I reminded her that I never asked her ta the dance, she got mad. Told me that she had already bought her dress and everything, and then she hit me."

"Wow. Sounds like someone was a little confused about things," Luke said as he shook his head.

"It wasn't me," Bo protested.

"I didn't say it was you," Luke laughed. "Anyone lookin' at ya can tell ya don't care a thing for Sarah Jane except Sarah Jane herself."

"Well I wish someone would have told her before she hit me," Bo answered as he rubbed his face.

"Oh, poor baby," Maddie said and quickly leaned over and kissed his offended cheek. She quickly sat back with a surprised look on her face. "Oh, sorry," she said embarrassed about what she just did.

"Don't be sorry," Bo grinned back and threw his arm around her shoulders. "I liked it."

"I don't know, Lukas," Cooter grinned. "Do ya think Bo just put on a show for us just sos he could get kissed by Maddie here?"

"You could be right about that, Cooter," Luke agreed, grinning widely at the self-conscious girl.

"Stop it ya two," Daisy scolded but still smiled.

"Come on Maddie, let's dance again," Bo said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. Both of them missed the glaring look that Sarah Jane was throwing their way as they walked past.

"Bo, I'm really sorry about what I did back there," Maddie said, as they began dancing to the slow song that was playing on the jukebox.

"And like I said, don't," Bo grinned. "I really did enjoy it."

Maddie looked away for a moment before speaking again. "Bo, can I ask you something?"

"Sure"

"Why are you treating me like this?"

A confused look crept over Bo's face. "Like what?"

"Special," she answered shyly.

"Well, that's easy. It's because ya are," he smiled back.

Maddie looked up into Bo's eyes and saw that he was being sincere. "But with all of the other girls around here, why is it that you like me so much?"

Bo thought about it for a few moments and looked her right in the eye. "Well, like I told ya the other night, I think you're smart, funny, talented, and beautiful. You're not like the other girls I've dated. They always go out with me because they only want ta have a good time, and after awhile, they usually end up dumpin' me and go on ta the next guy. Ya know out of all the girls I've dated, not one of them was a serious relationship?" Maddie shook her head. "I know that I have a bit of a reputation for bein' a playboy, date 'em and leave 'em type of thing, but usually it's the girl that leaves me. You on the other hand are different. I can tell ya want more from a relationship then just a good time. Ya want a friend, someone who appreciates ya for who ya are, and contrary ta popular belief, that's what I want too."

"Thank you, Bo." Maddie said quietly.

"For what?"

"For being so wonderful, for being you," she grinned.

Bo looked back at her as an impish smile formed on his face. "Ya better get ready then."

"For what?"

"For all of the attention that I'm about ta give ya," Bo whispered as he leaned in to kiss her.

Back at the table, Daisy elbowed Luke and pointed to the dancing couple's direction with a grin on her face. "See, what did I tell ya? Told ya that they would become more than just friends."

"That Bo. He always gets the girl," Cooter chuckled.

Luke sat there watching his cousin with Maddie and smiled. "Ya know, I think I'm jealous."

"Ya should be boy," Jesse said sternly. "Not everyday that a good woman comes along."

"Just once I wish I could meet her before Bo does though," Luke chuckled.

"Ya might have a chance now," Jesse smiled. "Looks like he's smitten."

At another table, Sarah Jane watched the couple on the dance floor, fuming at the thought that Bo overlooked her for someone like Madeline Weiss.


	6. Chapter 6

**Beauty is Only Skin Deep**

**Chapter 6**

The following Sunday, the Dukes picked up Maddie early in the morning and headed together to the morning services at the church. As they were coming out afterwards, County Commissioner Boss Hogg and Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane were standing down at the base of the steps, waiting for Lulu, Boss' wife and Rosco's sister. Boss was chomping on the cigar that was in his mouth when he saw the Dukes and Maddie leaving.

"Rosco, there's the Dukes," he said as he pointed them out with his cigar. "They've been awful quiet these last few days."

"Come ta think of it, they have been, haven't they?" Rosco agreed.

"Wonder what they're up to?" Boss mumbled as his scowl grew. He then spotted the strange woman with them. "Rosco, who's that girl walking with them?"

"That must be the new girl that Enos was tellin' me about," Rosco said, smiling at the fact that he knew something that Boss didn't. "Uh, I believe her name is Madeline Weiss."

"New girl? What new girl?" Boss asked, still not knowing who she is.

"The new girl that moved ta Hazzard a few weeks ago," Rosco supplied.

Boss' scowl deepened. "A few weeks ago? And how is it that I don't know anything about her?"

"Oh well, that's because there isn't much ta tell. Ya see, accordin' ta Enos, who got the news from Daisy, that girl bought and moved inta the ole Miller place and she's in the process of fixin' it up, kew kew."

"Bought the Miller place? How? She didn't come to my bank for a mortgage loan."

"Well from what Maybell told me, she paid cash."

"Cash? Just where does she work?"

"Ms. Tizdale told me that she works at a law firm in Capitol City."

"Boss' cigar moved up and down as his jaw twitched in concentration. "Is she a lawyer?"

"Not accordin' ta Enos, she ain't. She just works for them."

"Which law firm?"

"I don't rightly know."

"Now how can someone who isn't a lawyer be able to afford accommodations such as a house like that and pay cash on top of it to boot?"

"Well, maybe she's rich or has come into some money," Rosco suggested.

The wheels in Boss' head were spinning and spinning fast. "No…if she had money I would know about it by now," he said as he continued to think. "Something funny is going on here, Rosco, and I want to know about it."

"What kind of funny?" Rosco asked in confusion.

"I'm not sure, but for someone to move into my town, buy a house with cash, and is now hanging around them Dukes, that tells me that something fishy is going on and I want to know what it is."

"How ya gonna do that?"

"Just watch," Boss exclaimed as he started heading towards the Dukes and Maddie.

"Well, well, well, look who's here," Boss said in his most sickly sweet voice. "The whole Duke clan." Turning, he forced a look of surprise on his face when he saw Maddie standing there. "Now who is this lovely creature?" he asked as he bowed slightly at his target.

"What is it that ya want, JD?" Jesse asked gruffly, already knowing that he was up to something.

"My, my Jesse. Is that anyway to treat one of your oldest friends, especially in front of a stranger too?" Boss asked with a look of shock on his face.

"JD we ain't been friends for a long time now, so again I ask, what are ya up ta?"

"Why I just came over to introduce myself to the lovely young lady here is all," Boss answered with a look of innocence on his face.

Maddie looked over at Bo and Luke and could see that they were also suspicious of the man in white. She remembered what the family had told her about the small man and she turned back with a smile on her face. "Why my name is Madeline Weiss and you must be County Commissioner Boss Hogg?"

"That's right I am," Boss cooed back.

"Oh yes, I've heard so much about you," Maddie continued.

"All good I hope?"

"Oh you can't imagine the things I've heard about you," she said as she quickly winked at the rest of the group.

"I just heard that you moved into the county and well I just wanted to let you know that if you need anything like say, a loan, to make sure and see me. My bank would be very happy to help you."

"That's very kind of you, Mr. Hogg, but I think that it would be safer if my money stayed where it is now and that is in the Capitol City Bank."

"Wha…" Boss croaked out.

"You see, I take a high interest in my money and I found out your bank doesn't…give interest that is," she smiled sweetly. "And about that loan? I do believe that charging five times the rate that everyone else does might make some very interesting reading to one or possibly two of the lawyers in my law firm. They're always looking for good corruption cases."

"But…but…"

"What's the matter, JD?" Jesse chuckled with glee. "Ya look as white as your suit there."

"Well I see that you've already corrupted this sweet, innocent girl," Boss accused.

"Oh, I was already corrupted as you say, before I met the Dukes, sir," she grinned. "I make sure I do my homework before choosing a financial institution and since it is more convenient, if not more profitable, I prefer to stay with my current bank. Good day, Mr. Hogg." Turning away from the stout, little man, she bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing out loud as she walked away, followed by a shocked but amused family.

Seeing that he was basically dismissed, Boss turned and headed back towards Rosco. "What did ya find out, Boss?"

"I found out that I got a dipstick for a sheriff is what I found out," Boss answered and he stormed past.

"Ijit. What happened?" Rosco queried as he followed.

"She made a fool out of me, Rosco and nobody does that to me, not even your fat sister, my wife Lulu."

"Ooh, that's not good. What are ya gonna do, little, fat buddy?"

"Well first, I ain't your little, fat buddy. Second, you're gonna find out anything you can on that girl…what's her name?"

"Uh, Madeline Weiss."

"Right. You're gonna find out anything you can about Ms. Madeline Weiss and I want you to place her under surveillance. Is that understood?"

"Well what do I look for?"

"Anything that will tell me what she's up to," Boss ordered. "She claims that she got a loan from the Capitol City Bank so that should be easy enough to check on. But if she did pay cash for that house like you say, then she must be up to something and most likely something illegal."

"And you want in."

"And I want in."

"Anything ya say, Boss. Me and Flash will start first thing tomorrow morning."

"Wrong."

"Wrong?"

"You will start first thing right now," Boss commanded.

"Just what I said, Flash and I will start right now."

"Good. Now get going and find me something on her."

"I'm gone," Rosco said as he turned and headed towards his patrol car.

**01 01 01 01**

Meanwhile, back at the General and Dixie, the gang was having a good laugh at the way Maddie handle ole Boss. "Sugar, ya were wonderful. I don't think I've seen Boss Hogg that flustered before."

"And that part about your law firm being interested in his bank was a classic," Luke grinned back. "Girl, I sure am glad ta be on your side."

"Why thank you," Maddie answered as she took a bow. "Now, I hope that you are all hungry. I have dinner waiting for us for when we get back to my place."

"Ya bet," Bo piped in, a wide smile on his face.

"You're always hungry, Bo," Daisy teased. "Do ya need any help once we get there?"

"Nope. Basically, everything is ready. All I need to do is bake some rolls and take the roast out, and then we can eat," Maddie smiled.

"Well let's go then," Jesse ordered as he herded the kids to the cars.

An hour later, the Duke clan was back at Maddie's house, sitting at the table as Maddie placed the roast on the table, along with the potatoes, rolls, gravy, and green beans. "Hope you're prepared for a little northern cooking," Maddie grinned as she sat down.

"If it tastes as good as it looks, I'm sure we're all gonna be happy," Daisy smiled as they bowed their heads and listened to Jesse say grace. Plates were soon filled with food and the conversation quickly turned to how wonderful everything tasted.

"Darlin', ya cook like this all the time and I'll be over every night," Bo said over a mouthful of food.

"And that's after he's had supper with us," Luke joked. "But I agree with Bo. This is really good."

"Why thank you," Maddie blushed slightly at the compliment. "I'll have to introduce you to some of my family's favorites later on. "There's nothing like good old fashion Polish and German food."

"And we'll have ta introduce ya ta some ole fashion southern cookin' as well," Jesse grinned back.

"You're on," Maddie said with a smile.

As the small family was eating, Rosco came sneaking up the driveway on foot, carrying Flash of course, and trying to find out just who this Madeline Weiss was. After seeing that the General Lee and Dixie were parked in the driveway behind Maddie's station wagon, he quickly made his way over to the barn and peered through the window. His eyes opened wide in surprise as he saw all the machines standing there and since he had no clue as to their purpose, he immediately formed the wrong assumption.

"Ooh, ooh, we got her now, Flash," Rosco chuckled. "Just look at all that stuff in there. She must be doin' somethin' illegal with all that equipment." Flash just yawned in reply. Moving over to the house, he quietly as possible made his way over to the first window he saw, which just happened to be the kitchen window. As he stood up on his tiptoes to see into the window, Maddie, who was at the sink filling it with soapy water, happened to look out that same window…and screamed. Rosco's eyes widened in fear and he back pedaled, tripping over a small bench and falling onto his backside but still holding tightly onto Flash.

Bo and Luke were right by Maddie's side as she pointed out at the window. Without a thought, the two of them were out the door and ready to tackle whoever it was that was outside the window. They both stopped and laughed when they saw Rosco trying his best to get up with Flash still in his arms. Jesse, Daisy, and Maddie were suddenly behind the boys and looked at the fallen sheriff.

"Rosco, what are ya doin'?" Bo asked as he and Luke walked over and helped the man stand up.

"Uh, uh, Flash and me, see," Rosco began, "we thought that we saw someone sneakin' around here so we came ta investigate."

"Rosco, the only one sneakin' around here is you," Luke said as he dusted the sheriff off.

"We're not sneakin'," Rosco protested.

"Then where's your car?" Bo asked.

"Uh, my car?"

"Yeah, your car."

"It's uh, it's hidden so that the guy sneakin' around here wouldn't spot it. That way Flash and me could cuff him and stuff him."

"We're not buyin' it, Rosco," Luke said in a warning voice.

"You're not?"

"Nope."

"Oh well…it's the truth," Rosco said, shifting Flash in his arms. "Otherwise, why would I be out here?"

"Because Boss Hogg sent ya," Bo smiled back.

Rosco's eyes widened as he tried to think his way out of the situation. Maddie stood behind Jesse trying not to laugh at the man's failed attempt. Taking pity on the mumbling, stumbling man, she came around and stood in front of him. "Sheriff, are you all right? You didn't hurt yourself did you?" she innocently asked. "I'm afraid you startled me when I saw you peeking through my window. Is your dog okay? She didn't get hurt did she?" Maddie kept bombarding Rosco with question after question, as she swiped her hand down his sleeves, removing the dirt and dust, confusing him further.

"Now just wait one cotton pickin' minute!" Rosco shouted as he took a step back from Maddie. "Or I'll have ta arrest ya for assultin' an officer of the law."

Maddie stood there for a moment staring back at Rosco, her hands going to her hips, and a fire forming in her eyes. "Then I guess you'll just have to arrest yourself as well," Maddie said as she poked the lawman's shoulder.

Confusion covered Rosco's face once again. "Arrest myself? What fer?"

"For trespassing and searching my property without a search warrant," Maddie smiled back. "Both quite illegal mind you."

"Ijit. I…I wasn't searchin' your property," Rosco answered in his own defense. "I already done told ya that I was after a very suspicious lookin' character."

"Rosco, the only suspicious lookin' character around here is you," Jesse replied, coming up next to Maddie. "And since ya have no warrant, I suggest ya better leave before we call the state police and report ya as a peepin' Tom." Rosco looked at the family and grumbled about no respect for the law as he and Flash headed back to the hidden patrol car.

"Tell me, is all the local law like him?" Maddie asked as she watched Rosco drive off.

"Well there is Enos, he's as honest as they come but just as naïve," Jesse grinned.

"Best way ta take care of Enos is ta sick Daisy on him," Bo chuckled.

"Bo Duke!" Daisy yelled as she slapped the ducking man.

"Bo's only tellin' the truth there, Daisy," Luke laughed; glad it was his cousin that was receiving Daisy's wrath instead of him. "One look at ya and he's a puddle of jello."

"Well he doesn't have ta make it sound like I'm sort of she devil," Daisy glared.

"You're not?" Bo joked as he moved out of range.

"Bo Duke, you're terrible," Daisy shouted.

"Now ya two stop it," Jesse ordered. "I can still take ya over my knee if need be."

"Yes sir," his kids answered.

"Now, let's get back in the house and start in on those pies that Maddie baked."

"Yes sir," they all shouted back enthusiastically.


	7. Chapter 7

**Beauty is Only Skin Deep**

**Chapter 7**

That following Saturday at the Boars Nest, it was early evening and the place only held a small fraction of its normal weekend crowd. To avoid looking at the loss of profits, Boss had hidden himself away in his back room office but looked up from the paperwork that he was rifling through, to see a large, shady looking man coming in through the door which he knew that he had locked. Scrambling, he threw the paperwork into his desk and slammed the drawer shut before standing up to face the very large man.

"Usually, when a door is closed, it is polite to knock first before entering," he sarcastically said with a scowl on his face, seemingly not to care that this man could possibly rip him in two.

"Can it, Hogg," the man grumbled back as he towered over the smaller man.

The man knowing who he was caught Boss off guard but he quickly covered his surprise. "And who, just pray tell are you?" Boss asked as he jammed his cigar into this mouth.

"My name is Evans and I'm with the FBI," the man said as he showed the commissioner a badge but swiftly closed the case, almost clipping Boss' nose in the process.

Boss jumped back slightly and his face paled at the mention of FBI. "Whatever it is you're investigating, I can assure you that I had nothing to do with it."

"Funny, my sources tell me that you did," Evans answered dryly as he pulled out a small notebook from his coat pocket. "I've been informed that your sheriff has been looking into the financial background of one Madeline Weiss."

Boss physically slumped in relief and then smiled back at Evans. "Oh yes, yes, that was me," he crowed happily before turning a quizzical look at the other man. "Just what is it that she's done that the FBI would be interested in her for?"

"Let's just say that she's been under investigation for quite some time and her name isn't Madeline Weiss but Leslie Bergman, and I would appreciate any help that you could give me so that I can bring her in."

"Leslie Bergman? And just exactly what would be in it for me?" the chubby man asked, his eyes glinting with greed.

Evans smiled wickedly as he quickly understood what the man was getting at. "If you help me, Hogg, I'll make sure that you get the reward that is being offered for her arrest."

"Reward?" Boss chuckled happily. "Well now, that is quite unexpected, after all, I'm only doing my sworn civic duty." Boss suddenly calmed down and gave Evans a hard stare. "Just how much of a reward are we talkin' about?"

"Ten thousand dollars," Evans replied without even batting an eyelash.

"Ten thousand…" Boss' voice trailed off as dollar signs floated across his eyes. He shook his head as he came to his senses causing his jowls to jiggle. "Just what is it you need from me?"

"The bureau has just learned that Ms. Bergman has recently moved into Hazzard. I want you to tell me just where it is she is living at."

"Oh, that's easy," Boss answered happily. "Why she's livin' at the old Miller place about seven miles east from here. "I'll contact my sheriff and he can come in and show you the way." Boss turned and grabbed his CB handset.

"That won't be necessary," Evans replied sharply. "I don't need no hick sheriff ruining my chances of capturing her."

"Hick sheriff?" Boss yelled back with an insulted air in his voice but then paused for a moment. "Come to think about it, Rosco would only get in your way and ruin my chances of getting that ten thousand dollar reward." Boss said that last part to himself. "Come over here with me and I'll show you on the map where to find her house."

"I appreciate this, Mr. Hogg," Evans smiled. His smile faded when Boss turned his back to him as he headed over to the map that was hanging on the wall.

"Oh, no problem at all," Boss replied as he placed a chubby finger on the map showing Evans exactly where Maddie was living.

A few minutes later, Evans was on his way. He slowed his car down when he finally came upon her house but kept going when he saw a bright orange car coming from the other direction, slowing down, and turning into her driveway. He quickly spotted a grove of trees about a half a mile down the road and pulled out a pair of binoculars from the glove box. Making his way to the trees he expertly parked his car where no one would see it, and got out taking the binoculars with him. Climbing one of the trees, he made himself as comfortable as possible on one of the larger branches, and began observing Maddie's house.

He watched as a young blond haired man stood and waited on the front porch. He could see that he was dressed up in a suit and that he was holding something in his hand. The man smiled when the door of the house opened and he saw it was the woman that he was looking for. He frowned when he observed the man giving her something before the two of them headed back to the orange car. He blinked in surprise when he saw the young man lift the girl into the car through the window before heading towards the driver side door and climbing in himself. A few moments later, the car quickly took off down the road.

The man sighed in frustration knowing that he wouldn't be able to do anything that night, wanting no one else around when he moved in, just to make it a lot easier on himself. Jumping down from the tree, the man went back to his car, got in, and pounded the steering wheel in frustration, before turning the ignition and heading down the road to find a place to hole up for the night.

A/N: Sorry that this is so short but this was a necessary chapter. I promise, I'll make it up to you. Also, thanks to all of you who are still sticking with me on this—hope you continue to like it!


	8. Chapter 8

_See, I told you things would pick up. Thanks everyone for the kind reviews and I'm glad that you like the story. Well, on to the next chapter._

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* * *

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**Beauty is Only Skin Deep**

**Chapter 8**

That Saturday evening was the Spring Dance and Bo had asked Maddie earlier in the week if she would like to go with him. After some light coercing from Daisy, she finally agreed. Bo and Luke, along with Luke's date, Mindy, pulled into Maddie's driveway and Bo climbed out of the General, carrying a small package with him. He stood in front of the door and knocked while nervously fidgeting with his tie as he waited for Maddie to answer the door.

His eyes widened in delight when Maddie's door opened and he saw her dressed in a simple, dark blue, elegantly cut dress. He smiled at the shy look she was also wearing. "Wow, you look great!" Bo said as he continued to look her over.

"You think so?" Maddie asked as she turned to face him, uncertainty still on her face.

"I wouldn't say so if it wasn't true," Bo smiled back. "Really, ya look lovely."

"Thank you, Bo."

"Oh here, I got ya something," Bo said as he pulled an orchid wrist corsage from the small box that he had hidden behind his back.

"Bo, it's beautiful!" Maddie replied as she watched him put it on her wrist. Instantly she lifted her hand to smell the flower.

"Just like you," Bo smiled shyly this time.

Maddie saw the bashful look on his face and noticed that he seemed somewhat nervous, so she quickly took his hand in hers. "Thank you again, Bo. Thank you for making me feel so special."

"Well that's because ya are," Bo answered, amazed that someone who seem so sure of herself had a hard time accepting compliments from somebody else. "Are ya ready ta go?"

"I am," Maddie smiled and pulled her door shut. "Let's go." She took the arm that Bo offered and walked with him towards the General. Maddie stopped as she got to the car. "Uh, how am I supposed to get in with a dress on?"

"Like this," Bo answered as he picked her up and slid her in. He couldn't help but laugh at the expression on her face.

"Maddie, are ya okay?" Mindy asked with a chuckle when she saw the look she wore.

"I…I'm okay. Just don't think I'll ever get used to that," she grinned back.

"It does take some getting use ta," Mindy admitted. "But it can be fun." Maddie giggled when she saw Mindy wink.

"Maddie, ya look great," Luke said as leaned forward and quickly kissed her cheek from behind.

"Thank you, Luke," Maddie answered, slightly embarrassed once again.

"I think we got the prettiest girls in Hazzard goin' out with us tonight, Luke," Bo said as he slipped in through the driver's side window.

"Better add Daisy ta that list or she'll wallop ya one 'til ya say so," Luke grinned. Bo and Maddie looked at each other and broke out in laughter as they remembered the first night they met and having a similar conversation about Daisy.

Starting up the engine, Bo punched the accelerator and headed to town where the big Spring Dance was being held.

**01 01 01 01**

The party was already in full swing when the foursome arrived. They quickly found and greeted Daisy and Enos, who had worked up the courage to ask Daisy to the dance. After talking for a few minutes, the small group broke up and everyone went to the dance floor to dance their first slow dance of the night. Maddie could feel that for some reason, Bo seemed different, not so self-confident.

"Bo, what the matter?" she finally asked.

"Huh, what do ya mean?"

"You seem nervous."

"Oh, uh, I guess I sorta am."

"Why?"

"Well, I guess ya could say that this is officially our first date."

"And you're nervous about it?"

"I just want everythin' ta go right, ya know, be perfect."

"It is, Bo," Maddie smiled up at him. "In fact, I'd say that this is the best first date that I ever had." She saw the look of relief on his face.

"So…ya expect there ta be a second date in the near future?" Bo asked playfully.

"I don't know," Maddie teased. "It depends if a certain someone asks me out again."

"I think that can be arranged," Bo grinned happily. The two continued to dance until the song ended and they headed over to where the drinks were being served. They stood there looking over the crowd trying to find the others. They both laughed when they saw the way Enos was dancing with Daisy, a white handkerchief between their hands and a large space in between the two of them.

"Enos looks like he's a little overwhelmed. He looks like he's going to pass out any minute."

"He always looks that way with Daisy," Bo chuckled.

"I think that it's romantic the way he's treating her, so old fashioned."

"Is that the way ya want me ta hold ya the rest of the night?" Bo asked with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"You do and I'll have to hurt you," Maddie giggled.

The two of them moved back to the dance floor, enjoying another slow song when Maddie felt a tap on her shoulder. "Ya mind if I cut in?" Sarah Jane sarcastically asked as she pushed her way in between them. Maddie was forced to let go of Bo before she fell and watched as the girl grabbed tightly onto him.

"Sarah Jane!" Bo protested loudly as he shook her off, causing the others around them to stop and stare at what was happening.

"What's the matter, Bo? Afraid of a real woman?" Sarah questioned as she glared at him. "Ya know that I'll be able ta show ya good time…unlike her," Sarah commented as she moved closer to him and ran her finger down his chest while looking over her shoulder at Maddie and smiling wickedly.

Bo grabbed Sarah's wrists and stepped away from her. "Listen Sarah, get it through that thick skull of yours…I'm not interested in ya."

"What about all those times ya danced with me? Ya can't tell me that ya didn't feel anything for me when ya held me."

"I only danced with ya two times and that was ta only get ya off my back. Now, please leave," ordered Bo as he side stepped her and held out his hand to Maddie. Still slightly shocked at what was happening, Maddie was just about to take Bo's hand when Sarah Jane cried out.

"You are not dumpin' me for her!" she growled out as she stormed up to Bo and pushed him hard causing him to trip and fall onto his backside. Looking up he saw Sarah lunge towards Maddie and quickly scrambled up to his feet, only stopping when Maddie balled up her fist and slammed it into the side of Sarah's jaw. The southern girl twisted and fell hard onto her hands and knees with surprise written all over her face. Maddie took another step forward, knelt beside her, and grabbed the fallen girl by her hair, holding it tightly in her hand.

"One thing that my Mom always taught my sister and me is that we were never allowed to throw the first punch, but after that, all bets are off and we are to fight to win. So if you ever lay a hand on Bo Duke or ever try to come after me again, I will make sure that you will regret it for the rest of your life. Do you understand me?" Maddie felt a trembling Sarah Jane nodding the best that she could while her hair was still tangled in Maddie's fist. Maddie released the girl from her hold and straightened up only to find that the whole room was staring at her and Sarah Jane. Maddie's face quickly turned red and she began to run for the exit, ignoring Bo's shouts for her to stop.

It wasn't until she was finally outside that she remembered that she didn't have her car and stood in the middle of the parking lot with her hands covering her face. She jumped slightly when she felt strong arms wrapping around her and she leaned heavily into Bo's chest. "Oh Bo, I'm so sorry," Maddie cried as she tried to stop her tears.

"What do ya have ta be sorry for? Ya didn't do anythin' wrong, Darlin'," Bo told her as he handed her his handkerchief.

"I made a total fool out of myself in there," she sobbed, wanting to forget the whole evening.

"No ya didn't. It was Sarah Jane who made a fool of herself," Bo answered as he hugged her tighter. "In fact…I'm kinda glad for what ya did."

Maddie blinked and looked up at him. "You are?"

"Well sure I am," Bo smiled. "Uncle Jesse always taught me and Luke that we weren't suppose ta hit girls. I wasn't quite sure what I was gonna do when Sarah Jane went after ya. But lo and behold, I found out that I didn't have ta worry, ya took care of her yourself, and a mighty fine job ya did too. Besides, I never had a girl defend my honor before."

Maddie saw the impish grin on Bo's face and couldn't help but laugh. "Oh Bo, you're wonderful," Maddie said as she hugged him tightly.

"Now what say we dry those tears of yours and go back in and dance some more."

"I'd like that," Maddie said shyly.

"Ya know something?"

"What?"

"This is the best first date that I ever had too," he grinned back.

"It's perfect," she giggled as she grabbed a hold of his arm and hesitantly headed back inside. She found Luke, Mindy, Daisy, and Enos waiting for them to come back in and gave them a reassuring smile.

"Maddie, are ya alright, Sugar?" Daisy asked as she gave her a quick hug.

"I'm fine, a little embarrassed, but other than that…"

"Well ya got no reason ta be. Ya handled Sarah Jane just fine. She went scurryin' out of here faster than a raccoon bein' chased by a pack of hounds."

"Yeah, I don't think she knew what ta do after the way ya handled her," Luke chuckled. "But I have a feelin' that she'll be rememberin' this night for the next few days at least, especially the way her jaw was bruisin'."

Maddie felt a wave of guilt fall over her. "I didn't mean to hurt her. I don't know what came over me."

"Honey, we women will do the strangest things for the man we love," Daisy winked and grinned as she grabbed onto Enos' arm. "Even goin' so far as fightin' for him."

Maddie's eyes widened at that thought. Could she really be falling for Bo? Before she could give herself an answer, Bo grabbed her hand and pulled her back onto the dance floor, holding her tightly as they moved together in unison. Being held by him felt so right but a feeling of fear suddenly came over her. She quickly squashed it back down, smiling up at the handsome man holding her, doing her best to enjoy the rest of the evening with him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Beauty is Only Skin Deep**

**Chapter 9**

The following morning, Bo was driving over to Maddie's house to pick her up for church but as he came around the bend, he saw her standing in her driveway, still in her bathrobe, talking to a man he didn't recognize. A surge of jealously went through him when he saw the man give her a hug and then walk to his car. He quickly pulled into the drive just after the other man left.

"Bo, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here ta pick ya up, remember?" Bo answered sarcastically as he climbed out of the General. "I thought that ya would be ready and waitin' for me ta pick ya up and here I see ya huggin' some city slicker." Maddie quickly turned away from Bo but not before he saw the tears in her eyes. He quickly grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her back to face him. "Maddie, what's the matter? Did that guy hurt ya?"

Maddie shook her head as she dropped her gaze once again. "No, he didn't hurt me. I…everything's alright, Bo, honest."

"Uh, uh, not buyin' it," Bo answered as he turned her face to him once again. "What is it?"

"Bo, it's nothing, really," Maddie said as she tried to pull away but he wouldn't let her go.

"Something's goin' on and I want ta know what it is," Bo demanded. Maddie stopped trying to pull away when she realized that he wasn't going to let her go and just stood there looking down at the ground. "Come on, Maddie, tell me. Who was that guy?"

"Maddie turned to face him and wiped the tears from her eyes. "It doesn't matter who that guy is. I…I just want to thank you for all of the help you and your family have given me."

Bo stared at her with a quizzical look on his face, her answer only confusing him more. "Maddie, I'm missin' somethin' here. Obviously somethin' is wrong and I can't help ya if ya don't tell me what it is."

She heard the pleading in Bo's voice but only closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again, placing her hand on his cheek. "Bo, please, I have to go but I just want you to know that you are one very special guy and any girl will be lucky to have you. Thank you for making me feel so special."

Bo's head snapped back as if he had been physically struck. "What do ya mean ya gotta go? Where are ya goin'?"

"Bo please, don't make this harder for me than it already is. I…I have to go," Maddie answered breaking away from a stunned Bo and running to the house. Bo went to follow her but found that she had locked the door. He pounded on the door for several minutes before sighing and finally giving up. Not knowing what else to do, he headed back to the General and climbed in. He sat there thinking for a few moments before picking up the CB. "Lost Sheep Two ta Lost Sheep One, ya got your ears on?"

Luke answered a few moments later. _"Go ahead Bo, what do ya need?"_

"Not quite sure, Luke," Bo answered as he kept looking at Maddie's house.

"_What's that suppose ta mean?"_ Luke asked. _"Ya okay?"_

"I'm here at Maddie's and when I arrived I found her being hugged by some city slicker."

"_So ya tellin' me that you're jealous?"_ Luke chuckled.

"It's not that I'm jealous…just concerned. When I got out of the car, she was surprised ta see me and she was cryin'."

"_Cryin'? Why was she cryin'?"_

"That's what she won't tell me," Bo answered, frustration clearly ringing through his voice. "Plus she told me that she's leavin'."

"_Leavin'? Why?"_

"Like I said, she wouldn't tell me. She ran into her house and locked the door and now she's not answerin'. Probably hopin' that I'll just leave."

"_But you're not gonna, are ya?"_

"I think I'll stick around for a little while, maybe she'll calm down enough ta talk ta me. Can ya do me a favor and explain what's happenin' ta Uncle Jesse? I don't want him ta be upset with us when we don't show up ta church."

"_Alright Bo, ya do what ya think is best and call me if ya need me."_

"Ten-four Luke and thanks."

"_Anytime Cuz. Out."_

Bo hung up the handset and made himself as comfortable as possible by loosening his tie and watching for any signs that Maddie was coming out. About two hours later, the same car that was in her driveway earlier had returned, carrying the same city slicker that Bo had seen hugging Maddie. Bo's attention was immediately drawn to the house when he heard the front door open and saw a properly dressed Maddie coming out lugging two suitcases. Even as cramped as he was from sitting that long, Bo pulled himself out of the General and ran over to Maddie as the man was grabbing the cases from her hands and placing them in the trunk of the car.

"Maddie, wait!" Bo called out reaching her before she was able to get into the car.

"Bo!" She was surprised to see him standing there, thinking that he had left and not really paying attention to the General that was still parked there. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm not lettin' ya go without an explanation," Bo answered as he held her arms tightly.

"Bo, I can't, you don't understand…"

"You're right, I don't understand and that's what I want ya ta tell me."

"Maddie, we have to get going," the city slicker said as he stood beside the two of them.

"She's not goin' anywhere until she tells me what's goin' on," Bo adamantly answered as he glared at the other man.

"Sir, I'm afraid that there isn't time," the man returned, physically inserting himself between Maddie and Bo.

As Maddie moved to get into the car, Bo pushed the man away just as a shot rang out. Maddie screamed when she saw the man fall to the ground, his left shoulder bleeding from the bullet that was lodge there. Bo quickly tackled Maddie to the ground, lying on top of her as another shot rang out, this time hitting the car's fender.

"Maddie, get in the car!" Bo shouted continuing to shield her before turning and dragging the man onto the front seat with him. He started the engine and putting it into gear, tore out of the driveway as another shot hit the trunk of the car. "You okay?" Bo asked as he looked at her through the rearview mirror.

She nodded her head while taking some calming breaths. "I'm scared to death but okay. How's Bill?"

Bo looked over and saw that the man was grimacing in pain as he clutched his arm to his chest. "He's bleedin' pretty bad. Let's get him ta Tri-County Emergency and they should be able ta take care of him there."

"No…no hospital," Bill ground out through gritted teeth.

"You're bleedin'. Ya need a doctor," Bo replied as he kept driving.

"We can't go there. He knows…I've been hit…so he'll be checking…out every hospital around the area."

"Who's he?" Bo asked looking at the man suspiciously, "and why is he shootin' at ya?"

"It's not Bill he's after," Maddie said with tears in her eyes.

Bo saw the frightened look on her face. "Then who?"

"Me. He's after me," Maddie answered quietly.

Bo focused his attention on the road ahead of him as he took in what he was just told. "Why…why is he after ya, Maddie?"

"Don't tell him…anything, Maddie," Bill panted out, his voice getting weaker.

"Maddie, find something ta help stop the bleedin'," Bo ordered, noticing that the man wasn't looking that well. Maddie searched the back seat and found a blanket that was on the floor. She leaned over the front seat and firmly pressed the material against the wounded man's shoulder, causing him to grunt in pain. She saw how pale Bill was becoming and her concern for him grew.

"Bo, he needs a doctor and fast."

"But he just said no hospitals."

"I know but he still needs help."

"Doc Appleby," Bo yelled out. "We'll take him ta Doc Appleby. He should be able ta help him."

"Alright," Maddie nodded. "But hurry."

"Ya got it."

Even though he wasn't driving the General Lee, Bo managed to make good time getting to the Doc's office. Skidding to a stop, he quickly made sure that no one had followed them there figuring he had lost them long ago, and ran up the sidewalk and through the front door. A few moment's later, Bo was dragging a confused Doctor Appleby behind him that is until the doctor saw the injured man.

"Bo, help me get him inside," Doc ordered and between the two of them, they managed to haul the injured man into the building, Maddie following close behind.

Once inside, Doctor Appleby quickly got to work removing the unconscious man's suit jacket and shirt, stopping only long enough to carefully remove the gun and shoulder holster that was strapped around the man's chest. Bo saw the gun and the badge that was clipped to the man's shirt and turned to Maddie, who was standing there with tears glistening in her eyes. "How is he, Doc?" Bo asked as the doctor began his examination.

"Bullet's in there deep, but I don't think it hit anything major. I'm gonna need ta remove it and bet a better look inside, repair any damage that it caused. Tell me, Bo. Why didn't ya take him to the hospital?"

"He didn't want us to," Bo shrugged.

"He'd be better off at the hospital," Doc sighed. "How'd he get shot anyway?"

"Someone was takin' shots at Maddie here and he got hit."

"Miss Weiss?" Doc asked in surprise. "Are ya okay, dear?"

Maddie blinked and turned to the doctor. "I…I'm a little shook up but I'm okay."

Doctor Appleby nodded at the young couple and smiled. "Why don't ya two wait in the other room while I take care of this young man. Ya might want ta call Rosco and inform him of what happened."

"No, we can't!" Maddie pleaded, her eyes showing Bo how scared she really was.

"Maddie…"Bo said, frustrated about her refusal to call the sheriff.

"Please, Bo…" Maddie answered as she pulled away, wrapping her arms around herself.

Bo turned worried eyes at the doctor, who nodded his had towards the outer office. Bo then took Maddie by her arms and led her to the other room where they collapsed on the couch. He held her tightly as she sat in his arms crying at the turn of events. He could feel her trembling and he made soft shushing noises to try and quiet her down. After a while, she calmed down enough that Bo finally was able to ask the question that was on his mind.

"Mind tellin' me why ya were bein' shot at?"

Maddie sniffed and pulled away slightly, still not wanting to leave his embrace. "It's a long and complicated story, but in a nutshell, my name wasn't always Madeline Weiss, it was Leslie Bergman."

Bo looked back at her with a surprised look on his face. "What are ya talkin' about?"

Maddie took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Over a year ago, I was in Pittsburgh for the weekend with some friends when I unintentionally witnessed a mob hit."

"A mob hit?" If Bo wasn't surprised enough about Maddie's name change, he was totally stunned at what he had just heard.

Maddie shivered and snuggled closer to her friend, feeling his strength protecting her. "Yeah. My friends and I went to one of the theaters there for some kind of a show; I can't even remember what it was now. I was tired and not feeling too well but my friends still wanted to go out, so I told them I would see them back at the hotel. I decided to walk back, it was dark, and I knew that it could be dangerous, but it was only a couple of blocks away. Just before I got to the hotel, a car pulled over next to one that was already parked and the window rolled down to reveal a man with a large semi-automatic weapon. He opened fire at the other car filling it full of holes. What I didn't realize at the time was that there was someone actually in that other car. I tried to scream but was too frightened, and as I started backing away from the two cars, the shooter turned and saw me there. He aimed the gun at me but for some reason, it didn't go off. Not waiting for another chance that he could shoot me, I ran as fast as I could. I'm not really sure just how far I ran, I just kept turning corners and running down alleys, hoping to lose him, and I actually ended up at a police station. Word had already come in about the shooting, so they rushed me into an interrogation room and the FBI was immediately notified. Seems the man who was killed was a senator who was being blackmailed. The senator had a change of heart at the last minute and that's why he was killed."

Bo sat there taking in what he had just heard and hugged her a little tighter. "Let me guess. You're the only witness?"

Maddie nodded. "The FBI had me go through the mug shots and the guy I recognized turned out to be one of the mob's number one hit men, a guy by the name of Nick Gionelli."

"And I take it that they haven't been able ta get this guy yet?"

Maddie shook her head this time. "Unfortunately, he's still out there and probably the one who shot Bill."

"And Bill is…?"

"Agent Bill Watson. He's the FBI agent that was assigned to place me in the Witness Protection Program," Maddie said with a sigh. "They set me up with the house and agreed to get me all those machines in the barn so that I could work on the place since it was in need of repair. They also got me the job at the lawyer's office, even though I've never worked for one before." Maddie's face took on a frustrated look as she continued. "Everything was going well too, nobody, not even my family knew where I was. That was probably the hardest part about this whole situation. To them, I just up and disappeared and I wasn't even allowed to contact them to let them know that I was alright."

"Oh Darlin', I'm so sorry," Bo said. "No wonder ya had such a look of longin' when ya talked about your family."

"I was just getting used to the fact that it would be a long time before I could see them again and that I might have you and your family to help ease some of that pain when something went wrong. Bill told me this morning that Gionelli found out where I was."

"Does this Agent Watson know how that happened?"

"Seems someone was asking questions about me, trying to find out my financial situation and if I really did work at that law firm in Capitol City."

"Who was doin' that?"

"Maddie sighed in anger this time. "According to Bill, Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane."

"Boss," Bo said through gritted teeth.

"Because of them checking up on me, they inadvertently let Gionelli know where I was. The FBI tracked him to the area but they're not sure where he is exactly."

"And Watson was here ta take ya ta a new home?"

"Yeah." Maddie turned to look directly into Bo's eyes. "Bo, I'm sorry that I lied to you like that. I didn't mean to deceive you; it's just that I couldn't tell you about my true past, only bits and pieces that I knew were safe."

"Hey, I understand that," Bo answered as he stroked her cheek with his thumb, wiping the tears from her face. "But right now we need ta get a hold of Luke and the others and do something sos that we can catch that Gionelli guy. That way ya can stop runnin' and let your family know that you're safe."

"You can't do that!" Maddie cried out. "Bo, that guy's a trained killer. He could end up hurting you or the others or worse and that's the last thing that I want. No, I need to contact Bill's superiors and explain what happened and then I need to get out of here before that guy does end up hurting someone I care about."

"Ah, but you're forgettin' one thing," Bo said with a comforting smile. Maddie stared at Bo with a puzzled expression her face. "This guy is on our turf now and we Dukes know a thing or two about a good shuck and jive."

"Shuck and jive?"

"Yep, that's where we give the bad guy a piece of his own medicine. Let me make a phone call and we'll meet up with Luke and the others and explain everything ta them. Once they know what's goin' on, we'll come up with somethin' that will capture this fella."

"I'm scared, Bo and not just for myself. I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me."

"I know ya are, but I'll be with ya every step of the way, okay?" Maddie bit her lower lip and nodded, still not liking the idea of getting everyone else involved. "Good girl," Bo smiled as he placed his forehead on hers. "Before ya know it, this will all be over. Now come on, we got a phone call ta make." Getting up, he dragged Maddie into Doctor Appleby's private office and quickly placed a call to the farm.


	10. Chapter 10

**Beauty is Only Skin Deep**

**Chapter 10**

Within a half an hour, the rest of the Duke family, Cooter, and Enos were in Doc Appleby's waiting area, staring back at the young couple as they told the rest what had happened and Maddie's real story.

"I've heard of this Gionelli fella and he's a bad one," Enos said, worry showing on his face. "Are ya sure that he was the one shootin' at y'all?"

"We didn't get a chance ta see who was really doin' the shootin' but that Agent Watson was pretty sure that it was Gionelli and that he now knows Maddie is here. That's why the agent came ta see her sos that he could move her ta another safe house," Bo explained.

"And from what Bill has told me before about the man, that's one of the ways he gets rid of someone…sniper style," Maddie filled in, still clinging to Bo's arm.

"Well if the Fed's knew that Gionelli was down here after ya, why didn't they try and find him?" Cooter asked.

"They were trying but he found me first."

"The question is what do we do now?" Bo asked as he looked directly at Luke.

Luke sighed and shook his head at the confidence that his cousin placed in him. "Looks like the first thing we gotta do is hide Maddie somewhere safe."

"How about the Indian caves," Daisy suggested.

Luke thought about it for a moment and smiled. "That's not a bad idea."

"Now wait just a minute, I am not going to stay in no caves!" Maddie protested.

"But there's nothing in there that can hurt ya, Maddie," Bo said, trying to calm her down.

"Bo, I am not worried about no snakes, bugs, or spiders," Maddie turned to him, anger in her eyes. "You forget I grew up with four brothers. I had to learn real quick to like those things otherwise I would have been tortured by them. It's just that I am not going to let the rest of you risk your lives for me while I'm stuck in some old, damp cave."

"But Maddie…" Bo pleaded.

"No Bo. It's me that he's after and the only way to get him to come out is if I'm the bait."

"We understand what you're sayin', Maddie," Luke started, "but it would be better if ya went inta hidin'."

"No! Listen, I am not happy about the fact that I've gotten all of you involved in this, in fact I'm downright scared about this whole situation. I appreciate what you're doing but I don't want any of you to get hurt on account of me. If you're all fired up to go through with this to weed this Gionelli guy out, then I'm going to help."

"Ya sure ya ain't got no Duke blood in ya?" Jesse asked with a chuckle.

"She sure does sound like a Duke, don't she," Cooter agreed.

"Just as stubborn as all the Duke women are," Jesse nodded.

Maddie couldn't help but blush at the compliment. "Please, let me do this."

Luke shook his head and smiled. "Well, seein' how we're not gonna change your mind, I guess we got no choice."

"No you don't," Maddie answered with a nod.

"I still wish that ya would reconsider though," Bo said as he squeezed her tightly.

"Bo, it's not fair to ask all of you to fight my battles for me."

"Ya didn't ask," Bo smiled back. "But a Duke's never let a friend down before."

"Or a Davenport," Cooter grinned.

"Or a Strate," Enos chuckled.

"Thank you," Maddie said as tears flooded her eyes. "All I ask is that you please be careful."

"We're always careful, ain't we Luke?" Bo asked his cousin.

"That's right," Luke smiled back. "Now, why don't ya start off by tellin' us what ya know about this guy and we'll start from there." The small group huddled closer as Maddie, with a little help from Enos, told them what she knew.

**01 01 01 01**

A few hours later, Cooter dropped off Bo and Maddie back in front of her place, sitting there while they both got into the General. "Okay, ya two know what ta do?"

"We got it, Cooter," Bo grinned back.

"Just be careful. We already know what this Gionelli fella is capable of doin'. I don't want him hurtin' y'all either," Cooter said as he looked around at the surrounding trees and fields. The consensus of the small group had been that Gionelli would most likely be watching Maddie's place, waiting for her return, since he probably did not know where she had been hiding for the last few hours.

"Well if all goes ta plan, he won't get the chance."

"All right then, keep it 'tween the ditches, y'all," Cooter yelled as he pulled away, waving when he heard the sound of Dixie.

Bo and Maddie quickly took off in the General heading the opposite direction. Bo looked over at his passenger and grabbed her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. When Maddie looked up, he could see the fear on her face. "Everythin' is gonna be okay, Maddie."

"I'm just afraid that someone is going to get hurt on account of me."

Bo gripped her hand a little tighter and smiled. "Like I told ya before, Gionelli is on our turf now. He's not gonna know what hit him." Bo saw the trembling smile that she gave him.

As they headed down the road, Bo looked in the rearview mirror and spotted a strange car following them. He did a quick series of turns only to find that the other car was still on his tail. He let go of Maddie's hand and picked up the CB handset. "This is Lost Sheep Two callin' the flock. We've seemed ta have a hunter on our tail, over."

"_Bo, this is Luke. Ya know what ta do. Lead him on in."_

"That's a big ten-four, cousin. Be there in a few," Bo answered before hanging up the CB. "Well Darlin', this is where the big, bad, hit man discovers that he is out of his league."

Maddie, who was looking out the back window turned to Bo and took a deep breath. "Let's do this. I want my life back." Crying his rebel yell, Bo floored the General and sped off, watching as the car behind them did the same.

Knowing that he had to take it easy so as not to lose Gionelli, he made his way along the back roads, making sure that the hit man knew where they were at all times. Basically driving around in circles, Bo finally turned off a small side road before bringing the General to a sliding stop. Getting out of the car, Bo and Maddie quickly ran into the surrounding woods and down a small foot path. They both heard Gionelli's car skid to a stop behind the General and the slamming of a door as the man began chasing them on foot.

Gionelli followed the fresh tracks, smiling to himself at how easy it was to follow them. His smile quickly faded a few minutes later when all signs of his prey suddenly disappeared. Turning in place, he looked for anything that would tell him which way his targets went, stopping when he saw the small broken branch indicating which direction they were headed in.

Moving slowly and silently, the man came upon a small, weathered shack that looked like it had been standing there for many, many years. Stealthily making his way closer to the building, he tried peeking in through the windows only to discover that they were caked with several layers of dirt. At the sound of something being knocked over inside the building, he moved over to the door, and with his gun drawn, burst through the opening. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the dimness of the interior, but as soon as they did, he realized that it wasn't the two people he was after that was standing there. A loud growl confirmed his suspicions as he high tailed it back outside, closely followed by a large black bear.

As Gionelli ran for his life, the bear amble his way behind the man, growling and yelling as it went. The hit man quickly made his way down a path that he hoped would lead him back to his car, but soon found himself floating in midair before he dropped heavily down into a six foot deep hole. He lay there stunned for a moment until he heard the sound of the bear growling above him. Realizing he still had his gun in his hand, he rolled over and took careful aim at the creature but stopped short of pulling the trigger.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" a voice commanded from above. Turning, Gionelli saw the barrel of a police issued revolver pointing directly at him. "Harvey here wouldn't appreciate it if ya shot him…and neither would I," Enos said as he continued to point his gun at the hit man. "Now just throw that gun of yours over yonder there and slowly stand up." Seeing that he had no other choice, Gionelli did as he was told. "Boys, ya mind givin' this man a lift?" Enos asked. Gionelli felt two pairs of hands pulling him up from the deep hole and before he could even try to break free, he felt a pair of handcuffs being slipped over his wrists behind his back.

Looking around, Gionelli saw the smiling faces of an old man holding a shot gun, the tow truck driver that he had seen earlier, the deputy sheriff, and a girl standing right next to the bear, hugging its neck as if it were her pet. "Good boy, Harvey. Ya come by the house later on tonight and I'll give ya a special treat," Daisy smiled as she scratched the bear's chin. Harvey returned a growl of pleasure as he snuggled into her hand.

"Enos, ya might want ta search him," Luke said while still holding onto the hit man's arm. Gionelli turned and saw a dark haired man standing on one side of him and the blonde haired man that had ruined his earlier attempt, standing on his other side glaring back at the man.

Enos, knowing that the man was good and captured, put his gun away and did a thorough search, finding and removing the many concealed weapons the man had hidden on himself. As Enos stood back, Maddie finally came into view and moved closer to the man that had been plaguing her for the past year and a half. Looking directly into his eyes, she gave a snarl that closely resembled Harvey's growl. "That's him, Enos. That's Nick Gionelli."

Enos nodded at her, grabbed the man's arm, and started pulling him through the woods towards his patrol car with Cooter following close behind to make sure that the man didn't try anything. As Enos led the man away, the rest of them could hear the young deputy reading Gionelli his rights.

Before she had a chance to move, Maddie felt Bo's arms wrapping around her and she felt herself give in to her fright and worry, leaning heavily into him. "Hey now, it over," Bo said soothingly as he gently rocked her. "Everything is gonna be just fine." Bo felt Maddie nod against his shoulder feeling his shirt soaking up her tears.

"I…I can't believe it," she finally whispered. "It really is over."

"I'm afraid it's not quite over yet," Luke spoke up and saw the look of fear come over her again. "You'll have ta face him again at his trial…but that's the easy part." Maddie smiled when she saw the grin grow on Luke's face.

"Yeah, after what I've just been through, you're right, that will be the easy part."

"And with him locked away, ya can get your old life back," Uncle Jesse grinned, happy that everything turned out as well as it did.

Maddie stared at Jesse for a moment as the realization hit her. "Yeah, my old life back," she finally answered, not really sure if she was happy or sad about that thought.

**01 01 01 01**

Once he arrived back at the Sheriff's office and had Gionelli safely locked up, Enos phoned the FBI of the capture of the wanted hit man. Poor Rosco stood by in confusion as the Atlanta Bureau swarmed the small town of Hazard, locking down the small Sheriff's office until Gionelli was officially taken into their custody.

Boss returned from the Boars Nest to the flurry of activity only to find out that the man he knew as Evans wasn't an FBI agent after all. When he also found out that he wasn't going to collect the ten thousand dollar reward on Maddie, he took his frustrations out on Rosco for not having recognized the trained killer in the first place. It didn't matter to Boss that Rosco had never seen the man until he had been captured and hadn't a clue that the man was even trying to kill Maddie. What really made Boss angry was the fact that Maddie and the Dukes would be collecting the sizable reward that was being offered for Gionelli, a reward that they were willing to share with Cooter and Enos for helping them.

Agent Bill Watson woke up later that evening at Doc Appleby's to a flurry of questions by his supervisors as to why he didn't notify the department about the situation. When the Dukes and Maddie told them what had happened to the man and that it had been their decision not to call, they carefully explained the events of the last few hours and informed the department that Agent Watson went far and above his duty to protect his witness. The agent was grateful for everything that the family had done for him, getting him to a doctor, and also talking to his supervisors, but he was especially happy that Maddie's life could begin to return to normal after being on the run for over a year.

After a long night of questions and answers with all of them relating to what had just taken place, the following morning, Bo pushed a exhausted Maddie into her living room and made her sit down on the couch. He picked up the phone and handed the receiver to her, giving her a warm smile before turning and heading back to the kitchen. With trembling fingers, she dialed the number she knew by heart and nervously waited for the person on the other end to answer. "Hello, Mom?" she said as tears started forming in her eyes. "It...it's me, Leslie." Maddie and her mother stayed on the phone for over two hours as she explained why she had suddenly disappeared and how she ended up in Georgia. Tears were shed on both sides of the phone conversation with Maddie making a promise to come home soon to see her and the rest of her family.

Once Maddie was off of the phone, she went to the kitchen where Bo stood and held her as she cried in relief at the notion of being able to see her family once again. Once her tears slowed, she looked up at the man holding her and smiled. "So, does this mean you're gonna move back home?" Bo asked with a hint of apprehension in his voice.

Maddie shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not really sure what I'm doing yet. I do kind of like it down here though." The sly smile on her face told Bo that she was willing to stay if there was a good reason to.

"I'd like it if ya did stay," Bo smiled back.

"Just like?" she asked.

Bo could see the mischievous look in her eyes and grinned wider. "Okay, I would love it if ya stayed. Better?" he asked as he kissed her.

"Much," Maddie answered as she hugged him tighter. "Bo, can I ask a favor of you?"

"Sure. What is it?" Bo questioned while looking down at her.

"I know that we haven't known each other all that long, but...I was wondering if you would be willing to go to Pennsylvania with me, you know, to meet my family?"

Bo could see how scared she was that he was going to say no so he gave her one of his biggest smiles. "Darlin', I would love ta go ta Pennsylvania with ya and meet your family. Ya know, I've never been that far north before."

"One thing you got to remember since it's only early March, you'll need to bring some warm clothes with you and some good boots."

Bo's eyes widened half with fear and half with excitement. "Ya mean that there still could be snow up there?"

"Maddie nodded. "Most likely. Where I come from, it's not all that unusual to have snow up until May. It may only be a couple of inches, but it is possible."

"Are ya sure that ya didn't live in the Artic somewhere?" Bo asked as he shook his head in wonderment.

"It could feel that way sometimes," Maddie giggled. "Oh, and we'll probably have to make a stop on the way home to see my one brother and his family since he lives in South Carolina, but the rest of the family is in Pennsylvania."

"At least it'll be warmer there," Bo joked. "Guess I better tune up your car sos that I can leave the General for Luke. It should only take us a couple of days of drivin' ta get ya home."

"Driving? We're not driving."

"We're not?"

"Nope, we're flying, complements of the US government."

"The government? How'd ya wrangle that deal?"

"Just a small thank you for helping them catch Gionelli and for having, and I quote, inconvenienced me for the last year."

"All right then," Bo grinned. "When do ya want ta leave?"

"As soon..." Maddie didn't get to finish her thought when the phone rang. Looking at Bo, she got a grin on her face. "How much do you want to bet that that's one of my brothers or my sister calling?"

"Go on and get it. Ya got a lot of catchin' up ta do. I'll finish up on some of these little projects that got pushed ta the side."

Maddie nodded and smiled at him again and then quickly ran to answer the phone, screaming in delight when her sister started yelling at her, just like old times.


	11. Chapter 11

**Beauty is Only Skin Deep**

**Chapter 11**

It was seven months later that the trial of Nick Gionelli began with Maddie being one of the star witnesses to the case, and Bo and the rest of the Dukes were by her side every step of the way. Even though the trial lasted well over three weeks, it only took the jury a couple of days to decide Gionelli's fate of being guilty of several cases of First Degree Murder. He was promptly hauled off to prison to await the judge's decision of whether or not he would be spending life in prison or if he would be facing the death penalty.

During those seven months, Bo and Maddie were seen together almost as much as Bo and Luke were. All of them were glad and relieved when the trial was finally over and they were able to head back home. Once they were back and Maddie had come over that weekend for Sunday dinner following the trial, Bo officially declared his love for her by asking her to marry him, which she immediately accepted, shocking the entire Hazzard community that one of the Duke boys was actually settling down.

Eight months later, the day of the wedding finally arrived and Bo and Maddie were both nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Luke, Bo's best man, watched his cousin with amusement as Bo struggled with the cuff of his tux, trying to get it straight so that he could use the cufflink to secure it. After dropping the cufflink back for the third time, he growled in anger and was just about to throw the rest of it when Luke moved to grab his hand.

"Will ya take it easy?" Luke ordered as he bent over and picked up the fallen piece. I swear you're actin' like a seven year old."

"Is anythin' gonna go right today?" Bo asked in frustration as Luke clipped the cuff for him.

"It hasn't been that bad," Luke consoled.

"Not bad? Luke, the General got a flat on the way here, which I had ta change by myself 'cause ya went with Jesse and Daisy ta pick up Maddie."

"Well I offered ta come with ya but ya ordered me ta drop Daisy and Jesse off here at the church and pick up Maddie, her mother, and her sister," Luke said in his defense. "Cooter would have been more than happy ta have picked them up for ya."

"In his tow truck?" Bo asked in astonishment. "Oh yeah, that would have gone over real big. Besides, the rest of her family needed ta follow ya ta the church."

"First of all, Cooter would have driven Maddie's car instead of his tow truck just like I did instead of Dixie, and second, he could have led the way for her family, ya know," Luke answered in exasperation.

"I know, I know," Bo sighed. "It's just that after I fixed the tire, I ran into one of Rosco's speed traps and he started chasin' me, causin' me ta be even later than I should have been."

"Well ya know he did that just ta wish ya well," Luke offered. "Your last chance ta run away a free man."

Bo turned and gave him an "are ya kiddin' me?" look. "Somehow, I don't think so. If he had his way, the weddin' would have taken place in the jail, with Boss officiatin' it just sos that he could charge for performin' the weddin', and let's not forget ta mention the bail money."

"You've got a point," Luke chuckled. He slowly took a few steps back and looked at his cousin. "I still can't believe that my little cousin is gettin' married. Never thought that ya would be the first one. I always figured it would be Daisy."

"Yeah, me too," Bo smiled and then a look of sadness came over his face. "Ya know with me movin' in with Maddie, I'm sure gonna miss not havin' ya around all the time. Ya gonna miss me?"

"Me? Naw. I'll finally get my own bedroom after all these years," Luke smiled mischievously. "It'll be nice not hearin' ya snore all night long."

"Like _you_ don't?" Bo chuckled.

"I don't snore," Luke protested.

"Oh ya should hear yourself."

Luke was about to answer when there was a knock on the door and Jesse came in, all dressed up in his own tux. "My, my don't ya look nice all gussied up," he said as he looked at his youngest.

"Thanks Uncle Jesse," Bo said slightly embarrassed, before a frantic look crossed his face. "Is everythin' alright out there?"

"Everythin's fine, just fine," Jesse soothed. "Maddie's family is all set and waitin' for the big event, all of 'em excited about their youngest getting married."

"Yeah, they sure seemed ta be," Bo smiled.

"Seems that ya made a pretty good impression on 'em," Jesse grinned.

"Ya don't know how nervous I was when we went ta see her family that first time. I'm not sure who was more protective, her four brothers or her sister."

"They all seemed ta like ya though."

"Maybe it's the fact that ya were the one that saved Maddie's life when Gionelli tried ta shoot her," Luke said with a shrug.

"Maybe. Anyway, I'm just glad that they could all make it. Hey, how's Maddie doin' by the way, Uncle Jesse?"

"Oh, she's just a bit on the nervous side," Jesse answered. "She's worried that you're gonna back out on her."

"I'm gonna back out?" Bo yelled out in surprise. "I can't believe that she would think that I would do that ta her." He started heading towards the door. "I better go have a talk with her before everythin' gets started."

"Now hold on Bo," Luke cried out as he grabbed his cousin's arm effectively pulling him back into the room. "Don't ya know it's bad luck ta see the Bride before the weddin'?"

Besides, she's only got weddin' day jitters just like ya do," Jesse smiled back.

"I'm not nervous," Bo answered looking at Jesse, doing his best to hide how scared he really felt.

"Sure your not," Jesse laughed. "So how come ya had trouble findin' your keys this mornin'?"

"That don't mean that I'm nervous," Bo said in explanation.

"Ya had them in your hand when ya was lookin' for 'em," Jesse grinned.

"Oh."

"Or the fact that ya only ate half of the breakfast that ya normally do," Luke chipped in.

Bo couldn't help but grin sheepishly. "I think that had somethin' more ta do with the last minute bachelor party you, Cooter, and Maddie's brothers threw for me yesterday."

"Oh yeah," Luke said with a shrug, still feeling the effects of that party himself.

"Besides, your Aunt Lavinia and I were the same way when we got married," Jesse encouraged. "Everythin' that could go wrong did and it still was the most wonderful day of our lives. We spent thirty-two wonderful years together before the Good Lord took her from me. The best thirty-two years I'd ever known. Now don't ya go a worryin' about what else could go wrong today. Ya just get yourself married ta that girl. She's a keeper in my book."

"Thanks again, Uncle Jesse. I really appreciate it," Bo said as he hugged his uncle. He then turned to Luke. "And thanks Luke, for everythin' that you've done." He also gave his cousin a hug.

"Anytime Bo," Luke smiled. "And I mean that. Ya call me anytime that ya need my help."

"I will."

"Now do like Jesse says and go get yourself married," Luke ordered as he patted Bo on the back and then gave him a serious look. "Ya know somethin', I'm kinda jealous of ya."

"Of me?"

"Well yeah. You're marryin' a great girl there, Bo. The kind of girl that I hope ta marry someday."

"Don't worry, Luke, ya will. I know that you'll marry a girl as wonderful as Maddie," Bo smiled.

"Thanks buddy," Luke grinned. "Now let's get ya married."

**01 01 01 01**

"Maddie, will ya please stand still," Daisy cried out in exasperation. "We can't fix your train if ya don't stay still." Maddie was nervously looking at herself in the full-length mirror trying to watch as her mother, her sister, and Daisy fixed her dress.

"I'm sorry, Daisy," Maddie cried out, tears trying to form in her eyes. "It's just that everything is going wrong."

"Leslie, if you don't calm down, I'm going to sock you one and a black eye will definitely make for a lovely wedding picture," her sister Ann said as she tugged on her arm making her stand up straight once again.

"Ann, leave your sister alone, she's just nervous," Mrs. Bergman ordered her eldest daughter.

"I know that, Mom. Why do you think I'm talking to her like that?" Ann grinned back. "If I treat her any differently than I normally do, she'll only get worse."

Mrs. Bergman gave Ann a look that would rival Uncle Jesse's but ended up smiling at her knowing that Ann was right and that she was just trying to calm her sister down. "Alright Leslie, just take a deep breath and try to relax."

Maddie did as she was told but ended up taking a shuttering breath instead. "I can't. I just can't help but think that Bo is going to back out on me. What if he does? What do I do then?"

Daisy stood up and grabbed Maddie by the arms and looked directly into her eyes. "Sugar, Bo has no intensions of leavin' ya at the alter. He loves ya too much ta do that."

Maddie looked back at Daisy and saw the sincerity in her eyes. "A...are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure," Daisy smiled back. "I've never seen Bo like this with any other girl he was with. He's hooked and he's not about ta let ya go."

Maddie couldn't help but return the smile. "Thanks, Daisy. I think I needed to hear that. It's just with everything going wrong, I was beginning to think that Bo was next."

"Oh honey, everything that's gone wrong today means nothing," Mrs. Bergman said as she took her daughter's hand in hers. "I can just feel it. You two are going to be so happy together."

"Thanks Mom, thanks Daisy, thanks Ann," Maddie said as she hugged all three women. "I don't know what I would have done without you today."

"Probably fall apart," Ann laughed back as she stood up with her hands on her hips, giving her sister a stern look. "Now stand still so that we can fix that train and get you married!"

"Okay!" Maddie shouted back at her sister, a big smile plastered on her face.

**01 01 01 01**

After all the fuss and worrying about everything going wrong, the wedding finally started. Bo stared in awe as Maddie walked down the aisle towards him and Maddie herself was proud of the fact that she didn't trip as she headed towards the altar. The ceremony itself was short and simple, just the way the two of them wanted it, and when the pastor finally introduced the couple to the rest of the guests, a large cheer went up through the church on the Duke side, soon followed by an equally resounding cheer from Maddie's side of the family. Bo and Maddie couldn't help but laugh at how their families and friends were carrying on. Bo's smile was so wide as he escorted his new bride back down the aisle that Luke thought he was going to bust.

The reception was held at the Boars Nest, much to Boss' delight, even though Lulu wouldn't allow him to charge the Dukes the full price like he wanted to. Boss wasn't too upset about that though. In fact, he was in such good spirits that day that he offered his best batch of shine, free of charge in celebration of the big event, only charging each guest a dollar for the use of their glass.

Jesse himself was in such a good mood that he alternated dancing between Mrs. Bergman and Ms. Tizdale all afternoon, both women smitten by his Duke charm. The rest of the day went by quickly and soon Bo and Maddie were on their way to the Atlanta airport to catch their flight for their Alaskan Cruise honeymoon--the day turning out to be perfect after all since Bo and Maddie now had each other in their lives.

_No, it's not over with yet. One more to go!_


	12. Chapter 12

**Beauty is Only Skin Deep**

**Chapter 12**

Word about Maddie and Bo's wood working skills soon spread throughout Hazzard, especially after Lulu had talked them into making several pieces of furniture for her. After much prompting from the others in the community, Maddie quit her job at the law firm and she and Bo opened up a small business making small pieces of furniture of all styles. As word continued to spread, more and more orders came in, most of them coming from Lulu Hogg, much to Boss' annoyance especially when he had to hand a check over to a Duke. A year later, their small business had taken on a life of its own and they ended up hiring some help, moving out of the barn and into a bigger building, and buying more and bigger equipment.

With a little persuasion, Maddie convinced Jesse to "retire" from his farming, well semi-retire, and help out with the business. She had seen some of the pieces that he had made for his wife when they were first married and between Jesse and the others that were working with them, Maddie and Bo were picking up a lot of the little tricks needed to make a beautiful piece of furniture. She also convinced Luke and Daisy to help out, which really wasn't that hard either, but both of them would only help out part time since Luke still wanted to run the farm and Daisy wanted to keep her waitress job.

Plans were soon in the works to celebrate Jesse's sixty-fifth birthday at the Boars Nest and practically everyone from Hazzard had been invited. Jesse spent the last hour opening the gifts that his friends and family had given him and he was somewhat overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness of everyone. He had just finished thanking Enos for the new fishing tackle that the young man had given him when Bo loudly cleared his throat.

"Uncle Jesse, it seems ya forgot ta open one of your gifts," Bo grinned widely as he handed the small, thin package to his uncle.

"Another one? Who's it from?" Jesse asked as he looked back at his youngest nephew.

"Actually, it's another one from Maddie and me."

Jesse gently shook the package. "What is it?"

"Open it and find out."

Jesse tore the paper off of the carefully wrapped package as Bo and Maddie held each other while they watched. Jesse finally found a solid wood picture frame inside the box, but instead of it holding a normal photograph, the frame held a strange black and white fuzzy picture. Jesse stared at it for a moment, a perplexed look on his face. "Not ta sound ungrateful, mind ya," he said as he kept turning the picture in his hands. "But what is it?"

Maddie and Bo looked at each other for a moment and she nodded her head for Bo to tell him. "Well Uncle Jesse, what you're lookin' at there is one of those new fangled ultrasound pictures that doctors use ta see things inside a human body."

"Well...that's nice," Jesse hesitantly said as he continued to look at it in confusion. Suddenly a look of worry came over his face. "Doctor? Is one of ya sick?"

"We're both fine, Uncle Jesse," Maddie assured the older man. Jesse looked back and forth between the two of them trying to figure out if they were telling him the truth.

"See that little blob like thing there?" Bo asked as he pointed it out to his uncle.

"Yeah, I sees it."

"Well, what you're lookin' at is an ultrasound picture of your grand nephew," Bo grinned back.

"Or niece," Maddie added with her own smile.

"Yeah, or niece," Bo agreed with a chuckle.

Jesse's eyes suddenly lit up with surprise as understanding hit him. "Ya mean...?"

"That's right, Uncle Jesse," Maddie smiled. "I'm pregnant."

A loud cheer went up all over the room at the unexpected news the two had just given. Bo felt his back being slapped as the men congratulated him and Maddie was hugged numerous times by the women. It was after Jesse had stood up and given them each a hug that he looked at the both of them, excitement flashing in his eyes. "Well tell me, when's the baby due?"

"In about five months," Bo grinned.

"We wanted to surprise you with the news and we both thought that today would be the perfect day to do it," Maddie said as Jesse hugged her again.

"Ya sure did," Jesse beamed. "Let me see that picture again!"

Maddie leaned into Jesse's shoulder as she explained to him what he was really looking at, tears falling down the old man's face as he now saw the baby clearly. Luke came over and stood by his baby cousin.

"How in the world did ya managed ta keep that a secret for so long?" Luke asked as he wrapped an arm around Bo's shoulders. "You of all people keepin' a secret and one that big too."

"It wasn't easy," Bo confessed with a grin. "Almost slipped a few times especially after tellin' Maddie's family about it. But we really wanted ta surprise Jesse and the rest of ya."

"Well ya sure did that," Luke admitted. "Congratulations Bo. You and Maddie did good, not just with the baby, but the business and everything else too."

"Like Jesse says, 'With the help of a good woman, ya can go a long way'."

"And ya got yourself a dandy too," Luke grinned.

"I don't know what I did ta deserve her," Bo smiled as he looked at his wife, "but I can honestly say that I'm happy."

"And I'm happy for ya too, the both of ya's."

"Thanks Luke," Bo answered with a grin. "Say, how are the plans goin' for you and Marie's weddin'?" Bo asked as he nodded his head in the direction of Luke's dark haired, brown-eyed fiancé, who was looking at the picture of the baby over Jesse's other shoulder.

Luke's own grin widened. "They're goin' pretty good. I can't believe that I'm gonna be married in less than two months. Say, that reminds me, I need ta thank Maddie again for intoducin' us at your weddin' reception."

"Yeah, Maddie was kinda upset when Mindy broke up with ya but she was also pretty excited about getting you and Marie together."

"It's funny. I would never have thought of Marie as someone that I would have chosen for a girlfriend, but she's nothing like any of the other girls that I've dated."

"Just goes ta prove that we both needed a shove in the right direction," Bo grinned.

"Now if we could only get Enos ta build his courage up enough ta ask Daisy ta marry him," Luke said suggestively. "I think courtin' her for three years is long enough."

"Guess we better work on him some more, huh?"

"Yep. Hey come on. I want ta see this picture of my new nephew," Luke said as he wrapped his arm around his cousin's shoulders again.

"Or niece," Bo reminded him.

"Or niece," Luke laughed as they headed over to the small group that was huddled around their uncle.

The End

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_Well as you can see, that was the last chapter folks. I hope that you enjoyed the story. Take care until next time!!_


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